Overview

• France’s detention watchdog CGLPL published an alarmed report calling for at least a partial shutdown of the Marseille-La Valentine facility, citing severe rights violations.
• Inspectors documented filthy, degraded cells with graffiti resembling feces or blood, torn or minimal bedding, doorless washrooms, scant hygiene supplies and reports of constant hunger.
• The report denounced a degrading practice known as “mise en grille,” and the ministry says its immediate halt was acted on August 20.
• Gérald Darmanin has tasked the General Inspectorate of Justice with a new inspection and plans to close one to two units in September for progressive cell repairs.
• Chronic understaffing and high absenteeism have curtailed schooling and kept teens confined, aligning with prior NGO and union warnings about systemic failures in youth detention.