The CGLPL recommends that a joint Ministry of Justice-Ministry of Health circular bear on
measures conducive to ensuring respect for detainees' dignity during external movements for
medical reasons and respect for medical confidentiality during medical consultations.
3.3
Management of prisoners that the prison authorities have identified as
being radicalised
After studying the phenomenon of Islamist radicalisation in prisons in an opinion and report
published on 30 June 2015 and analysing the pilot schemes being trialled across certain penal
institutions, the CGLPL gave its opinion in 2016 on the system for grouping together within
dedicated wings as part of the "Report on managing Islamist radicalisation in prisons: dedicated units
opened in 2016". An inspection of the dedicated units in the Osny and Fleury-Mérogis remand
prisons was carried out in 2016.
The Chief Inspector was informed that the dedicated unit pilot scheme had been discontinued
in favour of setting up radicalisation assessment wings (QER) and wings for violent prisoners (QDV).
The CGLPL's attention was also drawn by a number of referrals on the procedure for managing
prisoners within this new system, not least the restrictions to their fundamental rights within the Osny
and Fleury-Mérogis remand prisons.
3.3.1 The procedure for managing prisoners in the radicalisation assessment wings at
Osny remand prison
The Chief Inspector received several referrals in 2017 about the conditions in which prisoners in this
wing are managed. These referrals described heightened security measures: belongings reduced to the
strict minimum and difficulties for handing over items (books and shoes in particular) via visiting
rooms, weekly cell changes, systematic frisking for each movement of prisoners, conducting of several
cell searches and full-body searches each week, compulsory positioning of prisoners at the back of
their cell each time a member of staff opens the door, etc. Moreover, according to information
brought to the CGLPL's attention, prisoners did not have any access to sociocultural activities or
education and found it difficult to access the sports room. In breach of medical confidentiality,
warders attended the medical checkup for new prisoners. Finally, prisoners were no longer allowed to
attend collective religious practices, only individual meetings with the chaplain were henceforth
authorised. The Chief Inspector contacted the director of Osny remand prison about these myriad
restrictions to prisoners' rights.
In response, the prison administration director maintained that the doctrine of use in
radicalisation assessment wings was defined in a memo dated 23 February 2017 and that the detention
regime of the prisoners assigned to these wings remains an ordinary regime. That said, he clarified that
the dangerousness of the prisoners assigned to such wings justifies the appropriate supervisory
measures: cell searches, limitation of belongings in cells, frisking and full-body searches conducted
pursuant to the texts, etc. The CGLPL shall continue to watch that a balance between security and
respect for people's rights is struck within these detention wings.
Regarding access to activities for prisoners assigned to radicalisation assessment wings, the
director confirms that they are unable to access the activity provision available to the rest of the
prison population. Instead, collective activities (participant numbers for which are limited to six) are
provided. He adds that prisoners can, upon making a written request, be permitted to go to the library
to take books out and that a chess game has been provided. Prisoners also have access to the
radicalisation assessment wing sports room, owing to a weekly individual session, on request and
according to the timetable. On a final note, the director points out that prisoners can benefit from
academic follow-up, at their request or following a report from a unit official.
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