France's prison population breaks record as overcrowding worries grow

Concerns have arisen in French prisons after the number of prisoners increased and raised concerns about overcrowding in the country's prisons. France's prison population rose further on September 1, with 78,969 people incarcerated compared to 78,397 the month before.

That is according to the French Ministry of Justice. Figures fell slightly in August after increasing for the previous ten consecutive months, slowing the seasonal pace of court activity in the summer. As of September 1, 3,609 prisoners were forced to sleep on a mattress placed on the floor, compared to 2,361 the previous year.

French prisons have 62,014 places in total which means that it is 127.3 percent above its capacity. In some facilities, where prisoners are awaiting trial and presumed innocent, or have been given short sentences, this number jumps to 153.6 percent. Sometimes it exceeds 200 percent in 17 stations across France.

France has a total of 188 prisons, detention centers and other penal institutions. France has one of the worst records in Europe in terms of prison overcrowding, according to a study published in June by the Council of Europe.