the Toulouse Seysses prison center (Haute-Garonne) had been severely pinned in a report written in June 2021 by the General Controller of Places of Deprivation of Liberties (CGLPL), Dominique Simonnot.

A controller who had judged the conditions of detention in the penitentiary establishment “unworthy”.

“Dramatically high” prison overcrowding

A letter was then sent to the Minister of Justice to alert on the situation.

In this letter, the CGLPL described a “dramatically high” prison overcrowding, causing serious dysfunctions: lack of hygiene, proliferation of pests (rats, cockroaches, bugs), total lack of privacy, excessive time spent in cells …

Administrative justice seized

Following this observation, on Thursday, September 23, 2021, the International Prison Observatory (OIP) asked the administrative justice to force the State to improve the conditions of detention in the prison.

Monday, October 4, the Toulouse administrative court ruled in summary proceedings. He ordered the Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice, the Minister in charge of health and the Prefect of Haute-Garonne “to carry out a certain number of urgent measures intended to improve the conditions of detention at the Seysses penitentiary center. “.

Renovation of sanitary facilities and rat control

In a press release, the Toulouse administrative court explains:

“The summary judge considered that it was necessary to order the Minister of Justice to improve and adapt the conditions for the outside activities of detainees, often three per cell, and the maintenance of these spaces, in particular for the nursery and the medico-psychological service, encumbered by rubbish and / or isolated from any equipment. Likewise, the repair of the exterior sanitary facilities and the rat control of these spaces were necessary. It also has in common with the administration to redefine the conditions for cleaning the premises and the surroundings and to recruit ten detainees as auxiliaries assigned to this mission ”.

Separate the toilets from the cell

He therefore ordered the prison administration, on the one hand, to take any useful measure to strengthen pest control, on the other hand of proceed with the physical separation of the toilets from the rest of the cell, and finally to seek any solution, in particular by transfer of detention, making it possible to reduce prison overcrowding, and, depending on the epidemic situation, to restore the rhythm of two walks per day for the three inmates in cells of less than 11 m². It was also ordered the repair and immediate reorganization of cells for disabled prisoners.

Medical care

The judge in common with the ministers in charge of justice and health to jointly define a coordination protocol so that emergency and specialized medical care is provided within a reasonable period of time or by means of extraction in a hospital establishment designated in advance, either by teleconsultation or travel by a health professional in the establishment.

Recording of all acts of violence

With regard to the climate of violence and insecurity, concerning both inmates and prison staff, the summary judge ordered the systematic recording, through the designated application, of any act of violence involving cause a detainee or an officer, in order to allow the necessary investigations to be carried out.

Likewise, it was joined to the administration to systematically ensure the inventory and traceability of requests, reports and requests from detainees, by giving them a receipt, in order, in particular, to enable them to assert their rights in court. judicial or administrative, while the burden of proof for the processing of which they could complain falls on them.

Has this article been useful to you? Note that you can follow Actu Toulouse in the Mon Actu space. In one click, after registration, you will find all the news of your favorite cities and brands.