Overview
- A judge granted a one‑day employer leave for Monday to a 52‑year‑old inmate in Vendin‑le‑Vieil’s organized‑crime unit despite opposition from the prosecutor and prison chief, and an appeals chamber in Douai upheld the order.
- The trip is for a job meeting in the Lyon region between 7:00 and 21:00 without an escort, with the inmate driven by his spouse as police are notified and a security arrangement is planned.
- Prison unions UFAP‑Unsa Justice and FO Justice condemned the authorization as incompatible with the QLCO high‑security regime designed to sever outside contacts.
- Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said the case shows the need for a terrorism‑style legal framework for organized‑crime inmates, with specialized judges and stricter execution‑of‑sentence rules to be introduced in a bill early next year.
- Separately, Darmanin launched a zero‑phone initiative with €29 million for six pilot prisons, 19 additional anti‑drone systems by the first quarter of 2026, and €6.5 million for upgraded jammers plus enhanced screening equipment.