As shown by the report's trends between the number of prison places and size of the prison population over the last thirty years - or even the trends we have just outlined for the past two years the construction of new penal institutions is not sufficient in itself to curb this phenomenon, which is driven by changes in prison policy: new criminal offences have been created and increasingly oppressive prison policies have been rolled out, such that the places created have quickly been filled. In this regard, the 15,000 new prison places headlined is somewhat of an empty pledge. Yes, this volume would make it possible to cover the current apparent need, which is around 10,000 places, but in reality, only some 4,000 places will be created over the five-year term. This will in no way resolve the current crisis - especially since nothing is being done in parallel to reverse the upward trend concerning the number of prison sentences handed down and their length. What is more, this construction policy is being carried out at the expense of upgrading the existing building stock and alternatives to imprisonment since, as a group of 27 associations and unions 9 has quite rightly pointed out, the draft justice budget for 2018 is unlocking €26m "to launch an initial round of 5 remand prisons and 6 preparation for release wings as well as the acquisition of land" but is doing so "to the detriment of upgrading the existing building stock", funds for which are down by 33% compared with 2017, and neglects alternatives to imprisonment since "the appropriations for electronic bracelet rentals are down by 27% compared with 2017". On the basis of these findings, in 2017 the CGLPL devoted a considerable amount of time to drafting a thematic report on prison overcrowding, which was published in early 2018. The aim of this report is to demonstrate the consequences of prison overcrowding on all prisoner rights and to put forward a series of measures bearing on prison policy and prison management with the potential of reversing the steady rise in France's prison population. 2.4 The time for action has come During the symposium organised to mark ten years since the Act of 30 October 2007 establishing a Contrôleur général des lieux de privation de liberté (Chief Inspector of places of deprivation of liberty), the Chief Inspector acknowledged the many parliamentary or administrative studies that have tackled the subject of French prisons and which allow us to conclude that, today, there is a consensus on the assessment. The President of the Republic mentioned the broad outlines in his keynote address given on 31 October 2017 to the European Court of Human Rights. A number of parliamentary studies have followed since the ones conducted by MPs Mermaz & Floch: "La France face à ses prisons" (France and its prisons), and Senators Hyest & Cabanel: "Prisons, une humiliation pour la République" (Prisons, a humiliation for the Republic), both published in 2000, through to the ones which the then-President of the French National Assembly’s Committee of Laws, Mr Urvoas, dedicated to individual cell allocation. The Government also has a plethora of literature at its disposal, which it has either commissioned or authored. These particularly include the report from the consensus conference Pour 9 Letter undated, to the Honourable Members of Parliament, "Prison budget for 2018 - For an informed vote" from: Association des avocats pour la défense des droits des détenus, Action des chrétiens pour l’abolition de la torture, Association des avocats pénalistes, Aides, Association nationale des assesseurs extérieurs en commission de discipline des établissements pénitentiaires, Association nationale des juges de l’application des peines, Association nationale des visiteurs de prisons, Ban public, Centre d’action sociale protestant-Association réflexion action prison justice, CGT Insertion-Probation, Chantiers-Passerelles/Forum du TIG, La Cimade, Citoyens et justice, Courrier de Bovet, Emmaüs France, Fédération des associations réflexion action prison justice, Fédération des acteurs de la solidarité, Génépi, Ligue des droits de l’homme, Lire pour en sortir, Section française de l’Observatoire international des prisons, Prison Insider, Syndicat des avocats de France, Secours catholique, Syndicat national de l’ensemble des personnels de l’administration pénitentiaire-FSU, Syndicat national des personnels de l’éducation et du social-Protection judiciaire de la jeunesse-FSU, Syndicat de la magistrature. 23