France Plans High-Security Prison for Top 100 Drug Traffickers by Summer 2025
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin's proposal to isolate major narcotics offenders faces logistical, legal, and ethical hurdles amid prison overcrowding.
- Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin announced plans to house the 100 most dangerous drug traffickers in a single high-security prison by summer 2025.
- The facility will be cleared of current inmates, with specialized and anonymized staff assigned to manage the isolated drug traffickers.
- The initiative has sparked debate over feasibility, with critics citing logistical challenges, including France’s 129.5% prison overcrowding rate.
- Concerns have been raised about potential legal challenges from detainees, risks of detainee collaboration, and maintaining humane detention conditions.
- Two prisons, Vendin-le-Vieil and Condé-sur-Sarthe, are reportedly under consideration, though no final decision has been announced.
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