Amid a surge of attacks targeting prisons and guards nationwide, the justice minister proposes the measure.
French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin has proposed that prisoners should pay for their incarceration, as part of a broader effort to tackle rising violence throughout the country.
This proposal follows a series of violent incidents targeting prisons and their staff across France earlier in the month.
In a TF1 interview on Monday, Darmanin confirmed his intention to “amend the law” to support a bill presented to the National Assembly in March. The Justice Ministry estimates the national prison system costs around €4 billion annually.
Darmanin defended the proposed measure by citing historical precedent, stating that “prisoners contributed to their incarceration costs until 2003,” drawing a parallel to healthcare costs by noting, “just as there’s a fixed hospital fee, there used to be a fixed prison attendance fee.”
France had policies where inmates contributed to their prison costs until 2003, when they were eliminated during Jacques Chirac’s presidency.
The proposal is a reaction to recent violence aimed at French prisons and correctional officers countrywide during a two-week period in April.
According to the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office, coordinated assaults using automatic weapons targeted at least ten prisons over five nights.
In response, nearly 200 investigators have been assigned to identify the perpetrators. Earlier this week, police arrested 25 suspects in coordinated operations across the country.
Both Darmanin and Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau suggest drug traffickers are likely responsible, claiming the attacks were retaliation for the government’s crackdown on gang leaders operating from within prisons.
Darmanin posted an open letter on X on Monday, reaffirming his “total determination” to protect prison staff. “The utterly unacceptable violence and threats against you [prison officers] and prisons in recent days have rightly shocked you,” he wrote. The letter detailed new measures to protect the anonymity and safety of prison guards.
A group calling itself the Defense of the Rights of French Prisoners (DDPF) has claimed responsibility for the prison attacks. The group has been using its Telegram channel to share threats and propaganda videos targeting correctional facilities and staff.
Meanwhile, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has repeatedly condemned France over the condition of its prison system, citing issues like overcrowding and substandard living conditions. Despite these rulings, reports indicate that these problems persist, with some prisons exceeding capacity and lacking the facilities needed to ensure humane conditions for inmates.