Determining the Cost of Imprisonment: An In-Depth Analysis of Prison Expenses in France
It's Time for French Detainees to Pitch In. In a surprising shift, Minister of Justice Gerald Darmanin wants French prisoners to contribute towards their own incarceration expenses. He's planning to reintroduce a system that had been abandoned since 2003, where detainees paid for their stay in prison, similar to the hospital fees paid by patients.
"Prisoners should put some skin in the game," stated Darmanin in an interview. He promised to swiftly re-establish this contribution, stating that "it's only fair that those who are in a position to contribute, do so". To make this happen, the law needs to be tweaked, he added.
The Minister also promised that the amount prisoners would be required to pay would be symbolic yet significant, to discourage the leniency prevalent in French prisons. The funds collected would be used to improve the working conditions of prison staff, who have recently faced a series of attacks.
Two Bills to Settle the Matter
France has once again been criticized by the European Court of Human Rights in 2023, following an initial critique in 2020, for its prison conditions and overcrowding issues. As of March 1, 2025, France had 82,152 detainees for 62,539 operational spaces, making it a global density of 131.7%.
Two bills currently under consideration in the National Assembly aim to address this situation. One of them was deposited in March 2025 by deputy Christophe Naegelen (LIOT). The bill suggests a contribution ranging from 25% for high-income detainees to less for the more vulnerable ones, with the aim to relieve taxpayers and the state from the high costs of running prisons, and to encourage responsible behavior and rehabilitation among detainees.
How Much Does Prison Overcrowding Cost France?
According to Darmanin, operating French prisons costs around €10 million per day and nearly €4 billion per year. However, it's crucial to note that this proposal doesn't aim to make prisoners cover the full €4 billion cost. Instead, it's about sharing the burden of justice with those who can contribute.
In a report published in October 2023, the Court of Auditors indicated that prison overcrowding costs around €4 billion yearly. An inmate typically costs around €105 per day, while semi-liberty costs half as much, at €50 per day, and the electronic surveillance system amounts to a daily expenditure of €10.
- Minister Darmanin aims to improve the working conditions of prison staff by collecting a symbolic yet significant fee from detainees, as promised in a bill deposited by deputy Christophe Naegelen in March 2025.
- To address the European Court of Human Rights' criticism of France's prison conditions and overcrowding issues, two bills are under consideration in the National Assembly, with one suggesting a contribution from high-income detainees to less for the vulnerable, to ease the burden on taxpayers and the state.
- The Minister of Justice, Gerald Darmanin, is planning to reintroduce a prison fees system for detainees, similar to hospital fees, in order to share the burden of justice with those who can contribute, as a means to improve the general-news and crime-and-justice sectors.
- The cost of operating French prisons, which amounts to around €10 million per day and nearly €4 billion per year, according to Minister Darmanin, could be partially offset by implementing a contributing system for detainees, as stated in the proposed bills in the National Assembly.
- The reintroduction of prison fees for detainees, a plan proposed by Minister of Justice Gerald Darmanin, is a part of the broader strategy to promote responsibility and rehabilitation among detainees, and to improve the quality of politics, business, and society by addressing the issue of prison overcrowding.
