Country

France

Detention issue

FRA research findings

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Legal instruments & key provisions

Legal instrument Key provision
French Prison Code Foreign detainees are subject to the same rules as French detainees in their penal category
French Prison CodeAn interpreter should only be used if absolutely necessary, if a detainee does not speak or understand the French language, and if there is no one on site able to translate for them.

NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM RECOMMENDATIONS

Year Recommendation Report
2022Information regarding the rights of the person in custody and the operating rules of the place where they are being held must be given to them in a language they understand. Non-French-speaking and deaf people must be assisted by a professional interpreter. In each prison, an agreement with an interpreting service must be entered into to enable a professional interpreter to provide their services at any time, when a detainee or staff do not speak French. Report details
2022It is essential for all public authorities to provide detainees with documents translated into a wider range of languages. Computerised translation services must be made available to staff, so that they can instantly translate a document when needed. Finally, these authorities must also provide information to enable illiterate people to receive the information they need. Report details
2023Detention places those locked up in a vulnerable situation, making some become so silent that they are forgotten. In the face of this silence, the CGLPL reminds us of the obligation incumbent upon authorities in charge of places of detention not only to provide all detainees with the means to have their observations heard, but also to be concerned about their silence and to seek to break it. Interviews, with an interpreter if necessary, must therefore be organised at regular intervals to check that the lack of expressed needs is not due to an inability to do so. Report details