Television is now accessible in publicly managed institutions for a small sum, eight euros per month, in principle divided117 by the number of occupants in the cell and free for persons without resources. It is harmful that prisons do not all follow the same rules in this regard; those under delegated management, pursuant to the initial contract clauses, continuing to provide subscriptions at the price of eighteen euros per month. This constitutes a failure in equality of access to broadcast information which cannot be understood. It needs to be emphasised that access to radio punishment wings marked a significant advance, although this provision was aimed more at breaking psychological isolation than promoting the right to information. The fact remains that a large proportion of information from outside of prisons is today broadcast by Internet. A word which still gives rise to concerns within prisons, though experiments with cyber base platforms118 are in progress in a few institutions. The Contrôleur Général continues to recommend that prisoners should be able to make use of the Internet tool, in a supervised manner and of course without calling into question the necessary controls for the maintenance of public order and security in prison. The Contrôleur Général has been consistently making this recommendation for some time119. Communication by means of information and communication technologies is today considered to present significant security risks in prison, as were the press, radio and television around fifty years ago. Different approaches in other countries show that such communication can be controlled and is not prohibitive in terms of cost. Opening such access would have the major advantage of bringing the closed world closer to the outside, thus fighting against the socially alienating effects of imprisonment. This would reinforce the maintenance of family ties, pursuit of university courses, preparation for release (accommodation, employment etc.) and place greater responsibility upon prisoners. 3.4 Legal Information and Advice Access Points These schemes providing free legal consultations120 within prisons121, in accordance with article 24 of the Prisons Act correspond to the legal information and advice access points put in place by the departmental committees for legal information and advice (CDAD /Conseils départementaux de l’accès au droit). They are held by legal professionals, lawyers and jurists of mediation associations remunerated by the councils of French departments. This service is often subject to an agreement between the institution, the SPIP and the Council of the Department. In most cases it is coordinated by the SPIP, which is problematic since requests on the part of the prison population are obliged to pass through this prison service. At the time of inspections, the prison population encountered emphasised the importance of the scheme, and appreciated the collective meetings which can be organised on the initiative of the organisers of this legal information and advice. Although legal information and advice access points are mentioned in many booklets provided to new arrivals, certain prisoners informed inspectors that they were unaware of the existence of a scheme of this kind. This confirms the fact that information and the circulation thereof need to be a constant concern. 117 According to the regulations this sum should be systematically divided between the number of occupants. Such is far from being everywhere the case, according to the findings of inspections and letters received. 118 Eleven institutions were involved in such experiments at the end of the year 2011. 119 See the opinion concerning access to information technology for prisoners, Journal officiel of 12th July 2011. Cf. also section 3 of this report. 120 These consultations are intended to fulfil any demand for legal information made by prisoners, with the exception of their penal situation, enforcement of sentences and disciplinary matters. 121 150 were in place at the end of the year 2012. 94