His lifeless body was discovered in his cell on Saturday. A 33-year-old inmate was found dead by prison staff at La Santé prison in Paris. According to a police source, the man killed himself by hanging. The man was placed in pre-trial detention on January 10 as part of a referral for immediate appearance for aggravated violence and death threats. The hearing was scheduled to take place on February 14.
The emergency services intervened around 1 p.m. and were unable to resuscitate him, specifies the police source, according to which the man had been placed in an individual cell after having made suicidal comments. He was incarcerated for drug-related weapons violence, according to this source. An investigation has been opened and will determine the causes of death but also the conditions of his incarceration, indicates the prosecution.
Prison overcrowding breaks records
The Santé penitentiary center in Paris accommodated 1,077 inmates for 713 places on December 1, representing an occupancy rate of 151.1%. Prison overcrowding is breaking records in France, with, as of November 1, 2023, more than 75,000 people incarcerated for around 61,000 places available, and an overall prison density of 123.2% compared to 120% a year ago, according to data from the Ministry of Justice.