He announced it on Thursday during his trip to Marseille, a week after the murder of Mehdi Kessaci: Gérald Darmanin wants to “exclude mobile phones from all prisons in France”. The Justice Minister on Friday announced the launch of a “zero mobile” plan, which aims to make six correctional institutions “fully cell-proof”.
This experimental plan starts “from today” with initial funding of around 30 million euros, the Minister of Justice assured during a visit to the Santé prison in Paris.
The six prisons selected were locations with difficulties, such as Santé, Arras and Toulouse. In some countries, sending phones or drugs is an “everyday sport”, he said. The security work will be done “in less than six to seven months”, he said.
“Prevent network leaders from ordering assassinations”
To ensure this watertightness, scanners will be installed on prisoner packages, as well as millimeter wave gantries because, according to him, “getting on a plane is more complicated than going to prison”.
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The cost of a “highly effective” telephone jamming system is estimated to be “between four and five million euros per company”. The closure of the training grounds will take place in 2026 to prevent telephone “projection” inside these prisons.
One thousand prison officers were recruited
This “rearmament of security” is part of a continuation of reforms inspired by “Italy’s anti-mafia law” to “fight recidivism” and in particular should “prevent network leaders from ordering murders” from their cells, explained Gérald Darmanin.
The minister also announced the recruitment of an additional 1,000 prison officers next year, saying this was “the highest recruitment of any government”.
