2.5
Solid fuel tablets and hot plates
In its 2013 annual report, the Chief Inspectorate indicated that it had referred a matter in February
2012 to the Prison Administration Department concerning the use of solid fuel tablets which are
dangerous health- and safety-wise.
The Versailles Administrative Court, in a ruling dated 12 April 2012,
considered solid fuel tablets to come within the category of "hazardous products"
and that they must be "reserved for outdoor use".
The Prison Administration Director replied by saying that the solid fuel tablets woul d no
longer be available for sale in the canteen from 1 July 2013 across all prisons – including those
under delegated management. Noting this decision with satisfaction, the Chief Inspectorate wanted
to know what replacement was now available to prisoners for reheating the products they buy at
the canteen – particularly in prisons where the electrical facilities do not allow the use of hot plates.
The prison administration replied that it had authorised the sale of induction hot plates
whose low power rating (limited to 500W or 250W, versus more than 1500W for traditional electric
plates) enables use in prisons with insufficient electricity grid coverage.
That said, at the start of this year, the Chief Inspector's attention was once again drawn to
this subject. A certain number of reports spoke of only partial application of the measures taken by
the prison administration following the decision to ban the sale of solid fuel tablets in prisons.
Accordingly, it was found in some institutions that these tablets were still being used, while in
others, the prisoners were unable to get hold of hot plates. The Chief Inspector therefore wished
to hear what the Prison Administration Department had to say and to find out what measures had
been taken to ensure that prisoners could benefit from hot plates in cells or, at the very least, in a
communal kitchen.
In a response dated 24 November 2016, the Prison Administration Director confirmed that
the sale of induction hot plates has been authorised since 2014. He specified that some prisons did
not provide hot plates because the current electricity grid was unable to tolerate a large number of
electrical appliances all working at the same time, without running a risk of a power outage on the
prison grid. Lastly, he pointed out that a range of measures had been taken, depending on the
institution: renovations on the electricity grid; limitation of the power rating of applia nces to 250W
or authorisation to install hot plates in designated areas, such as communal kitchens.
The CGLPL will certainly check how these plans are progressing during inspection missions
as well as the measures taken to ensure that every prisoner is able to reheat his or her meal under
healthy conditions.
3. The new difficulties addressed in 2016 by the CGLPL through
referrals
A few examples of the violations of rights that the Chief Inspector referred to the authorities in
2016 are given below. The Chief Inspector is still awaiting an answer from the authorities for most
of these questions. For others, the authorities have already responded and talks will continue
through 2017.
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