France to Open First High-Security Prison for Narcotraffickers in July
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin announces sweeping reforms to combat drug trafficking, including new prison facilities and a dedicated penitentiary police force.
- The first high-security prison for France's 100 most dangerous narcotraffickers will open on July 31, with transfers beginning in March.
- The facility, backed by a €4 million renovation budget, aims to prevent external communication and contraband delivery, such as phones and drugs.
- Two additional high-security prisons are planned within two years to house over 600 high-risk narcotraffickers identified by intelligence services.
- A new penitentiary police force, set to launch in 2026, will focus on security, surveillance, and supporting probation officers in high-risk areas.
- Other reforms include doubling semi-liberty prison spaces by 2027, creating an independent oversight body for penitentiary administration, and expediting the deportation of non-citizen convicts.
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