OPINIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE FRENCH CGLPL
overall the premises are in a satisfactory state, the disposition and
size of the rooms are not entirely satisfactory. In addition, certain
deficiencies suffered by the police station and the personnel therein
(inadequate electrical installation) have an effect on the way the unit
operates. There is therefore a medium-term requirement to find
premises in a building more adapted to the functions carried out in
such a centre.
2/ The four bedrooms, one of which being reserved for women, are
in a row (the ‘male’ bedrooms being separated from the ‘female’
bedroom by the room for the guards). To get to the washing and toilet
facilities, the men need to pass in front of the bedroom reserved for
women. This bedroom is separated from the corridor by a full-length
glass partition which is naturally totally transparent. Whilst security
concerns mean that the agents on guard need to be able to keep all
detainees under surveillance, this should not be at the expense of a
complete lack of respect for individual privacy to which all persons
have a right. Such an arrangement is not to be found, for example, in
any prison. No security instructions can justify such a situation, which
is clearly prejudicial to human dignity. These arrangements need to
de rectified as quickly as possible (for example by applying an opaque
film to the glass).
3/ The conditions in which detainees can receive visitors are less than
satisfactory, especially when one considers that one relies on third
parties to bring what the detainees lack and to provide such comfort
as can make their stay more agreeable. Indeed, these discussions take
place in a corridor where no seats are available. In addition, they are
limited to twenty minutes (as is the case in other centres) without
any clearly established reason for such a limit (according to those
who keep the register, out of 234 persons detained in Choisy-Le-Roi,
only 78, i.e. 33%, received visits). The Contrôleur général is convinced
that allowing third parties longer and more comfortable access to
detainees would not constitute a security problem concerning the
person’s detention. In these conditions, extra resources will need to
be provided.
4/ It is clear that most of the public security police officers assigned
to guard the detainees, in Choisy-Le-Roi but also in other equivalent
locations, are on their first assignments after initial training. Apart
from the disappointment these officers feel at performing lowesteem tasks which they never expected, it is clear that their training
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