low-ranking staff need to be thoroughly informed of their duties and that far greater involvement is needed on the part of high-ranking staff; and that the professions need to be better organised in order to ensure discipline and professional ethics with greater force and consistency. Article R. 434-14 of the part of the Code of Internal Security (Code de la sécurité intérieure) concerning professional ethics, applicable at 1st January 2014, provides in particular that “police officers and gendarmes… shall in all circumstances ensure that they conduct themselves in an exemplary manner, likely to inspire respect and consideration in return”. The Code of Professional Ethics of the prison service is more specific still; article 17 thereof provides that “the staff of the prisons administration shall in all circumstances conduct themselves and fulfil their duties in such a manner that their example has a positive influence upon the persons for whom they are responsible and inspires their respect”. Nine prison officers out of ten inspire respect, but the remainder undermine their efforts: the persons concerned need to be aware of this fact. In the field which is the Contrôle Général’s area of concern, everything fits together: the need for social order, respect for the fundamental rights of the person, the behaviour of officers and the conduct of persons deprived of liberty after their release. Indeed, among many other cases, the conduct of officers who inspire neither respect for consideration constitutes recidivism. It is the role of the Contrôle Général to bring such conduct to light and to put forward solutions for positive change in “the state, organisation and operation” of institutions “as well as the condition of persons deprived of liberty” (article 9, Act of 30th October 2007). It shall do so unwaveringly. Each inspector makes this conviction their own. It is this conviction in the first place, as well as the tireless conscientiousness which they apply to the fulfilment of their duties, and at the same time as the rigour and precision with which they complete the latter, which enables me to express my deep gratitude to the inspectors, whatever their role (in inspections, in the taking up of cases and in the administration): each of them indeed deserves to be mentioned. Finally, I would like to take the opportunity of thanking all of those who have dealings with or communicate with us, persons deprived of liberty, public and private actors, workers in associations, hosts, visitors, chaplains and friends and families of captives who, in one capacity or another, accompany our activity, which is constantly illuminated by the richness of their humanity. Jean-Marie Delarue 12