France Abolished "Detention Fee" in 2003
Minister Expresses Intent to Reinstate; Related Bill Submitted to National Assembly
"Aims to Reduce Correctional Facility Costs and Increase Inmate Responsibility"
Foreign media have reported that France is considering reintroducing a system that charges prison inmates a "detention fee." The aim is to secure funds to improve the working conditions of prison staff.
On April 28 (local time), Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin appeared on TF1 and stated, "We will reimpose detention fees on inmates," adding, "Inmates should pay a 'symbolic but significant amount' for each day they are incarcerated as part of their participation in the public justice service."
France previously charged inmates detention fees until the early 2000s. The measure was intended as a symbolic gesture, encouraging inmates to contribute in part to the cost of their incarceration. Inmates would pay the fee by deducting a certain amount from money earned through prison labor or received from outside sources. However, since it was symbolic in nature, the collection was not systematically enforced.
Minister Darmanin explained, "Until 2003, inmates paid detention fees," and added, "Just as there is a basic charge for hospital stays, there was a basic daily fee for time spent in prison."
The system was abolished in 2003. This was due to concerns that the measure was ineffective when inmates were often unable to pay, and that it was unfair as it amounted to double punishment.
Minister Darmanin stated that the annual operating cost of correctional facilities is about 4 billion euros, and expressed his intention to amend the law to reintroduce the detention fee system as a form of contribution. However, the system would exclude those in poverty and pretrial detainees.
It has been reported that a related bill has already been submitted to the French National Assembly. The bill stipulates that inmates who have received a final guilty verdict would pay a fixed amount per day of incarceration, based on their financial capacity. Christophe Naegelen, the lawmaker who introduced the bill, explained, "The detention fee system would not only reduce the burden of correctional facility operating costs on taxpayers and the state, but also increase inmates' sense of responsibility and promote their reintegration into society."
However, Mathieu Quinquis, president of a nonprofit organization monitoring the human rights of inmates in France, criticized the introduction of the detention fee system during a radio broadcast. He pointed out, "Most inmates are in extremely vulnerable socioeconomic situations," and said, "This will further weaken the financial foundation of people who need to prepare for reintegration into society."
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