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Prison wardens picket France's overcowded, understaffed jails

French prison wardens picketed three-quarters of the country’s jails on Tuesday during a day of industrial action to protest at security in the overcrowded penitentiary system. Police clashed with pickets at several establishments.

The entrance to Fleury-Mérogis prison, near Paris, the biggest in Europe
The entrance to Fleury-Mérogis prison, near Paris, the biggest in Europe AFP/Mehdi Fedouach
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Protesting prison staff blockaded the entrances to about 40 prisons nationwide on Tuesday morning and at several police forcibly moved them to allow prisoners to be moved.

The main union, Ufap-Unsa, called the action to protest at an “extremely tense” situation which has led to six hostage-takings in the least three months, according to union officials.

Reports under successive governments have concluded that France’s jails are overcrowded and understaffed.

The union says that a number of posts for guards are vacant and has called on Justice Minister Christiane Taubira to take urgent action to fill them.

A ministry statement said that the minister, who was to meet union representatives on Tuesday afternoon, “perfectly understands” their concerns and “intends to respond to them as soon as possible”.

Last month Taubira wrote to Prime Minister Manuel Valls calling for a rapid examination of her proposals for penal reform, which aims to fill vacant posts, try to predict repeat offences and reduce the prison population, notably by abolishing mandatory minimum sentences introduced by the previous government.
 

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