French prison staff protest record overcrowding, manpower shortages

Prison staff across France launched coordinated blockades Monday to protest chronic overcrowding and severe staffing shortages that unions say have pushed the penitentiary system close to collapse.

The action, led by the Ufap-Unsa Justice union and joined by other groups including CGT-Penitentiaire and SPS-CEA, is expected to affect nearly half of the country’s prisons, Franceinfo reported.

Around 80 facilities out of fewer than 190 nationwide could face disruptions, with demonstrators enforcing the slogan: “No one enters, no one leaves.”

The unions aim to “impose a balance of power” on authorities, citing what they describe as an increasingly unmanageable crisis. Official figures from the Justice Ministry show French prisons hold around 88,000 inmates for just over 63,000 places, an occupancy rate of roughly 137 percent.

Thousands of detainees are reportedly sleeping on mattresses on the floor.

Union representatives warn the situation threatens both staff and inmates. “The prisons have become real powder kegs,” said Alexandre Caby of Ufap-Unsa Justice, adding that officers are “holding the system together by sheer force.”

Staff shortages have further strained operations, with unions estimating about 5,000 vacant positions nationwide. Officers also report rising violence and exhaustion, with some facilities struggling to maintain basic operations.

Speaking to French Radio RTL, prison guard and union delegate Stephane Lecerf criticized what he described as a lack of concrete government action.

“We’ve always had promises, but we never see anything coming,” he said.

Authorities have not announced immediate measures in response to the protests. However, Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin has previously floated proposals such as introducing a “numerus clausus” to limit prison intake.

Union leaders say broader structural reforms are needed, including expanded alternatives to incarceration and accelerated recruitment.

Some unions, including FO Justice, declined to join the mobilization, describing the blockade strategy as “demagogic,” while acknowledging the severity of the crisis.