Official reports from French government or credible news outlets

France's Justice Minister Proposes Enhanced Isolation for 100 Top Drug Traffickers, Inspired by Terrorist Measures

Dec 28, 2024, 07:30 PM

France's newly appointed Justice Minister, Gérald Darmanin, has outlined plans to implement enhanced isolation measures for the country's top drug traffickers in prisons. In an interview with Le Parisien, Darmanin expressed his intention to isolate the '100 most significant drug traffickers' in a manner inspired by the treatment of major terrorists, aiming to prevent them from continuing their criminal activities from behind bars. This comes as France grapples with prison overcrowding, currently housing 82,000 inmates in facilities designed for 60,000, resulting in a 30% overcrowding rate. Additionally, Darmanin has called for the construction of new prisons to accommodate short-term sentences, aiming to address the issues of organized crime, prison overcrowding, and judicial delays. He emphasized the need for a more 'firm and rapid' justice system, and also mentioned plans for 'place nette' operations to 'clean up' prisons by restricting access to mobile phones and considering technical solutions to block mobile networks within prison facilities.