French prisons held 90,937 people on October 1, the highest figure ever recorded, according to statistics published by the Justice Ministry on Monday, November 2. The increase comes amid persistent overcrowding across the prison system.

The prison population rose 7.2% in one year, from 84,862 detainees on October 1, 2025. Over the same period, the number of operational places grew by 1.5% to 63,452. Because of the shortage of beds, 8,959 mattresses were placed on the floor, a 52% increase from a year earlier.

Occupancy reached 178% in remand prisons, which hold people awaiting trial and those serving short sentences. Overall overcrowding stood at 143.3%.

The Council of Europe raised concerns about the condition of French prisons earlier this year, warning of the risk that they could become a “human warehouse.” Its report highlighted overcrowding, poor conditions and violence.

In her final report, former prisons ombudsman Dominique Simonnot described the situation in the spring as a “penitentiary catastrophe.” She said overcrowding was endemic and worsened by aging, unsanitary facilities and a chronic shortage of prison officers. Simonnot also criticized the absence of a nationwide measure capable of curbing overcrowding.

Pierre Coppey, the former head of Vinci Autoroutes, is expected to succeed Simonnot as controller general of places of deprivation of liberty, subject to approval by the legal affairs committees of the Senate and National Assembly. He is due to be heard by the committees on Wednesday.

The Justice Ministry plans to add 3,000 places through modular prisons, which are considered less expensive. Half of those facilities are under construction, and the first is expected to open in Troyes by the end of autumn, according to the prison administration.

Of the 15,000 additional prison places planned under a national program launched in 2018, just over 8,000 had been delivered by mid-October, according to figures provided by the prison administration to Agence France-Presse.

Council of Europe figures for 2025 placed France among the European countries with the highest prison density, tied with Turkey at 131 prisoners per 100 places.

Sources: Le Monde.