French Prison Staff Launch Nationwide Blockades

(MENAFN) Prison employees across France began coordinated blockades on Monday as a form of protest against persistent overcrowding and critical shortages in personnel, which unions argue have driven the penitentiary system to the brink of breakdown. The movement, organized by the Ufap-Unsa Justice union and supported by other organizations such as CGT-Penitentiaire and SPS-CEA, is anticipated to disrupt operations in nearly half of the nation’s correctional facilities, according to a media outlet.

Roughly 80 prisons out of fewer than 190 across the country may experience interruptions, as participants uphold the message: “No one enters, no one leaves.” The unions state their objective is to “impose a balance of power” on the authorities, pointing to what they view as a worsening and increasingly unmanageable situation. Data from the Justice Ministry indicates that French prisons currently accommodate about 88,000 inmates despite having capacity for just over 63,000, resulting in an occupancy rate of approximately 137 percent.

Reports also suggest that thousands of prisoners are forced to sleep on mattresses placed directly on the floor. Union officials caution that the conditions are endangering both staff members and detainees. “The prisons have become real powder kegs,” said Alexandre Caby of Ufap-Unsa Justice, adding that officers are “holding the system together by sheer force.”

In addition to overcrowding, a shortage of staff is placing further pressure on daily operations, with unions estimating around 5,000 vacant positions nationwide. Prison officers have also reported increasing levels of violence and fatigue, while several facilities are struggling to maintain even basic functioning under the growing strain.

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