Overview

• As of February 1, 2025, French prisons held 81,599 inmates, surpassing their capacity of 62,363 operational places, marking a record high.
• The overall prison density in France reached 130.8%, with 18 facilities exceeding 200% occupancy and 4,490 inmates forced to sleep on mattresses on the floor.
• Pretrial detainees, who are either awaiting judgment or serving short sentences, make up 21,631 of the incarcerated population, with detention centers reaching 158.9% occupancy.
• France ranks third-worst in Europe for prison overcrowding, following Cyprus and Romania, according to a June 2024 Council of Europe report.
• Planned measures include doubling semi-liberty spaces by 2027, banning prison sentences under one month, and expanding community service programs to alleviate overcrowding and support reintegration.