“This is called individualization of punishment,” the prison directors union defended

Flavie Rault, secretary of the SNDP-CFDT union, called on Franceinfo on Sunday to “let the professionals do their job” after permission to leave an inmate from Vendin-le-Viel prison.

“This is called individualization of punishment and I want to emphasize that this is a constitutional principle”announced this Sunday, November 23, in franceinfo, Flavie Rault, secretary general of the National Union of Directors of Prisons (SNDP-CFDT), while inmate of the new unit to combat organized crime in the Vendin-le-Vieil prison (Pas-de-Calais) obtained leave on Monday, causing incomprehension among the prison officers’ union.

“I find it difficult to share this anger. These topics are fraught with complexity and providing simple answers to a situation that is not simple is misleading our fellow citizens,” believes Flavie Rault at franceinfo, calling “let the professionals do their job” and what “everyone does his own thing and only his own thing”.

The prison director’s representative remembered that “This ruling has been confirmed several times, first by the sentencing judge, and a second time on appeal.”. He continued: “I think it’s important for people who know the files to be able to work peacefully, and this seems to be happening less and less nowadays”.

“Who are the prisoners currently imprisoned in Vendin-le-Vieil? It must be acknowledged that there are prisoners of varying levels of danger, not everyone is public enemy number 1”continued Flavie Rault. “There are detainees who are still being held, there are those serving very long sentences, there are also those who have already served a period of detention, and this is very positive”. “The prisoner we are talking about today has been in prison for a long time (…) We cannot view prisoners who have this background as people who have just started their detention”he finished.

The 52-year-old inmate was convicted in 2012 of drug trafficking in an organized gang. He is eligible for release in 2029. He has already escaped from prison once during a hospital visit. He was one of the first 100 drug dealers to be jailed in a highly secure section of the new prison in Vendin-le-Vieil. This Monday’s leave will allow him to go to a potential future employer.