The reappointment of Gérald Darmanin as French Minister of Justice concerns the OIP

«Pour qu’une prison ressemble à une prison»: the reappointment of a French Minister of Justice inspired by an ‘ultra-security’ approach to prisons

👁️‍🗨️ According to one of our partners, the Observatoire international des prisons (OIP) – section française , reappointment of Gérald Darmanin as Minister of Justice continues to raise major concerns. His ultra-security approach — built on symbolic announcements and punitive measures — uses prisons as a communication tool, overlooking the structural crisis of French facilities and the need for real reintegration efforts.
A key example is the February 2025 ban on “playful or provocative” prison activities. After a legal challenge by the OIP and partner organizations, the Council of State partially annulled the instruction, confirming that such activities are legally permitted. Yet the prison administration has not restored the cancelled programs.

🎨 In response, the OIP has launched a new wave of appeals to challenge the removal of activities in about ten facilities (yoga, meditation, drawing, dance, chess, animal-assisted therapy). The situation is especially alarming in Carcassonne, France’s most overcrowded prison (245% occupancy), where cutting activities means over 22 hours a day locked in cramped, overheated cells.

💥 The OIP also announced it will go further: in the coming months, it plans to file additional cases to expand the range of prison activities, essential for dignity, safety, and reintegration.