Eight new sites announced for the creation of 15.000 prison places

Prime Minister Jean Castex is due to go to the construction site of a penitentiary center in Lutterbach (Haut-Rhin) on Tuesday, where he must announce the sites selected for the construction of new prisons, according to Matignon.

The "15.000-space plan", wanted by Emmanuel Macron in 2018, is divided into two phases: 7.000 spaces started by 2022, "that is to say delivered or advanced to a construction stage", according to a report. government source, and an additional 8.000 to be launched by 2022, for final delivery by 2027.

The plan provides for a total of 18.000 new space creations, but also the elimination of 3.000.

The penitentiary center of Lutterbach, on the outskirts of Mulhouse, must thus replace the penitentiary establishments of Mulhouse and Colmar, considered too dilapidated. The inauguration is scheduled for the end of the year.

For this second phase, five operations are already underway: in Muret (Haute-Garonne, 615 places, delivery 2026), Rivesaltes (Pyrénées-Orientales, 515 places, delivery 2026), Entraigues-sur-la-Sorgue (Vaucluse, 400 place , delivery 2025), Tremblay-en-France (Seine-Saint-Denis, 715 places, 2026), Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni (Guyana, 505 places, 2026).

Eight new operations must be announced on Tuesday, for deliveries by 2027: in Nîmes (Gard, 700 places), Le Muy (Var, 650 places), Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques, 250 places), Noiseau (Val-de -Marne, 800 places), Trélazé (Maine-et-Loire, 850 places), Crisenoy (Seine-et-Marne, 1.000 places), Vannes (Morbihan, 550 places) and one in Val-d'Oise on one site still being identified (750 places).

Three experimental prisons focused on work and training of 180 places each have yet to be built in Arras, Toul (Meurthe-et-Moselle) and Donchery (Ardennes), for delivery in 2025-2026.

"The new establishments will promote the development of work in detention, by offering a greater number of workstations in workshops as well as equipment allowing the diversification of professional and training activities", underlined a ministerial source, while the The Prime Minister's entourage highlighted "the Lutterbach project, carried out in an exemplary manner, with an architecture that renews prison real estate, very inserted into the landscapes and the territories".

The overall program of 15.000 additional places has a budget of around 4,4 billion euros, "the most important plan for fifteen years", according to the Ministry of Justice./cbn

France now has 61.100 prison places.