Finally, the Code of Criminal Procedure also sets this objective134: “With a view to encouraging the maintenance of the family ties of prisoners, the prisons Administration offers the latter, whenever possible, assignment to the nearest prison to their domicile that corresponds to their profile. Only considerations related to the security of persons and property or to the plan of enforcement of the sentence can constitute an obstacle thereto”. As already recalled by the Contrôle Général in its Report for 2012135, the geographical location of prisons is often unsatisfactory with regard to their accessibility (low or inexistent) by means of public transport; which constitutes a non-negligible hindrance to visits. In the same Report, regret was expressed with regard to the small number of family life units (UVF /unités de vie familiale) and family visiting rooms136; moreover, use thereof is sometimes too restrictive, taking the needs of the prison population into account; even if new institutions henceforth systematically have the benefit of these facilities. It would therefore be appropriate to bring family life units (UVF) and family visiting rooms137 into general use, as well as the recent changes to regulations concerning conditions of use of these UVF: possibility of access for prisoners who are untried or have already had the benefit of temporary release, for example. The material conditions of these visits still prove to be equally unacceptable in many old institutions and institutions of small dimensions: “shared rooms where families talk to each other in the midst of an indescribable hubbub, with or without screens between the tables; cubicles with large glass-panels, excluding any possibility of privacy; concrete 1 metre-high walls separating the two (“inside” and “outside”) sides of the visiting room. Families are sometimes welcomed in a humane manner, and sometimes not, by prison officers of whom specialised teams have still not been formed”138. It would be appropriate to improve the conditions of reception of families within prisons. In remand prisons, the frequency of authorised visits and the duration thereof are minimal, due to the overcrowding of institutions of this kind. Moreover, the opening days of visiting rooms remain, for the most part unsuited to the availabilities of visitors; that is to say few or no visits at the weekend. However, the increase in the number of family reception centres and the level of services to families provided there by both associations and private managers is to be welcomed. This trend should be continued in order, for example, to ensure that queues of families waiting in the rain are finally brought to an end. The terms of obtainment of visiting permits and reservation of visiting rooms still prove to be discouraging in certain institutions. Admittedly, the prisons Administration Department has begun to make improvements: online applications for visiting permits for the remand prisons of Nancy, Evreux and Béthune139; delegation of management of visiting rooms to private operators. According to testimonies collected from families, visiting room reservation terminals are often defective and telephone reception is poor (telephone number are engaged, lack of politeness on the part of an anonymous correspondent). The Contrôle Général requests that these difficulties be put right. 134 Article 717-1 AA of the Code of criminal procedure. p. 64. 136 In June 2013, there were 33 family visiting rooms shared between 9 institutions and 74 UVFs shared between 23 institutions (site of La Chancellerie). 137 Cf. Report of the Contrôle Général for 2010, proposal no. 29, p. 295. 138 Extracts from the Report for 2012. 139 Source: website of the French Ministry of Justice. 135 103