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2h ago

France to Add Four Ultra-Secure Prison Units Targeting Organized Drug Crime

The Italy-inspired detention model seeks to cut off criminal networks by confining designated inmates under near-total isolation.

La prison de la Santé à Paris.
Narcotrafic : l'un des nouveaux quartiers de haute sécurité se situera à Aix-en-Provence

Overview

  • New QLCO units are slated for the prisons of Valence, Réau and Aix-en-Provence in the coming months, with a fourth planned at the future Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni facility in Guyana.
  • The Guyana timetable is inconsistent, with the ministry citing end 2026–early 2027 and an administration source indicating end 2027–early 2028 due to ongoing construction.
  • Two QLCO already exist at Vendin-le-Vieil, which began transfers this summer and now holds dozens of high-risk detainees including Mohamed Amra, and at Condé-sur-Sarthe, expected to receive its first inmates within weeks.
  • Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, newly reconfirmed in office, said about 700 prisoners are deemed highly dangerous and that roughly 500 could be held in these units within months.
  • The Association des avocats pénalistes has challenged the implementing decree at the Conseil d’État, where the rapporteur public recommended rejection and a ruling is expected in about two weeks.