Controller-General of Places of Deprivation of Liberty

Verified 23 December 2024 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister), Ministry of Justice

What is the Comptroller General of places of deprivation of liberty? This is a independent administrative authority which intervenes to put an end to an infringement of the fundamental rights of persons deprived of liberty. This authority has the power to inspect the detention facilities involved. It may be seized by persons deprived of their liberty or by any person who finds that their rights have been infringed. We present you with the information you need to know.

The Supervisor-General of Places of Deprivation of Liberty may be seized of a situation which:

  • Harm to fundamental rights of a person deprived of liberty or who has recently been deprived of liberty
  • And which is linked to the conditions of detention, police custody, retention, transferor the hospitalization of that person or the operation of a place of deprivation of liberty.

Several situations may justify the intervention of the CGLPL: titleContent. This is the case, for example, when:

  • Conditions of detention or hospitalization are contrary to the fundamental rights of persons deprived of their liberty (poor hygiene, poor reception of arrivals, overcrowding in prison, etc.)
  • The person concerned encounters difficulties in accessing care, work, training or cultural activities
  • The health and/or safety of the person deprived of liberty is threatened (threats or violence by other detainees or by staff of the facility)
  • The person deprived of his liberty is transferred to a facility far from his family’s home so that they cannot visit him regularly.

FYI  

The CGLPL: titleContent may not intervene in proceedings in progress or to assess the relevance of a conviction or a decision of the application sentencing judge.

The Supervisor-General of Places of Deprivation of Liberty may be seized by:

  • The person deprived of liberty who considers that his rights have been infringed fundamental rights
  • A family member of the person deprived of liberty
  • The lawyer of the person deprived of liberty
  • A witness
  • A staff member involved in the establishment where an infringement (or risk of infringement) of fundamental rights appears to have been committed
  • One legal person (e.g. an association) for the purpose of respecting fundamental rights
  • Departments, Members of Parliament, Senators, stick-makers, etc.

The CGLPL: titleContent can also be self-gripping.

Please note

The person deprived of liberty cannot be punished for seizing the CGLPL: titleContent and/or have provided information and documents that are necessary for the performance of the task.

The CGLPL: titleContent may be seized by electronic means, by post or during visits organized by him to a place of deprivation of liberty.

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By electronic means

You can contact the Comptroller General of places of deprivation of liberty by doing the following online process:

Refer to the Comptroller General of places of deprivation of liberty

The information you provide electronically is recorded electronically. However, they cannot be revealed by the CGLPL: titleContent.

By postal mail

You can contact the Comptroller General of places of deprivation of liberty by sending her a letter.

This letter must mention:

  • The identity and address of the sender
  • The grounds on which, in its view, a breach or risk of a breach of fundamental rights of a person deprived of liberty is constituted.

The CGLPL: titleContent shall not reveal the name of the person initiating the report.

Who shall I contact

FYI  

Letters exchanged between a person deprived of liberty and the CGLPL: titleContent may not be controlled by the staff of the detention facility.

During GLPL visits

During visits to the, the persons deprived of their liberty, their relatives or the staff of the institution may ask to be interviewed by him or one of his staff controllers.

In such an exchange, it is possible to set out the grounds for believing that a breach of the fundamental rights of a person deprived of his liberty.

This type of interview is confidential.

However, if the CGLPL: titleContent has obtained the agreement of the person deprived of his liberty, he can discuss his situation with the competent authorities (example: head of a penal institution, doctor).

Where the facts brought to his knowledge appear to infringe the fundamental rights of a person deprived of his liberty, the CGLPL: titleContent may visit the detention facility concerned, carry out on-the-spot checks and carry out an investigation.

Tours of the GLPL

The Comptroller-General of places of deprivation of liberty may freely choose the establishments he visits, taking into account reports of breaches of fundamental rights which have been transmitted to him.

Visits may take place to all places of deprivation of liberty within French territory (including Mayotte, Wallis and Futuna Islands, French Southern and Antarctic Territories, French Polynesia and New Caledonia).

These visits can be made day or night, week or weekend.

They can be programmed or, on the contrary, take place without prior notice to the person responsible for the establishment.

It is impossible to oppose a visit to the CGLPL: titleContent except for reasons related to national defense, public safety or a natural disaster.

In such cases, officials at the place of deprivation of liberty must arrange another visit.

GLPL survey

During these visits, the CGLPL: titleContent may interview any person who can provide information on the reported infringement (or risk of infringement) of fundamental rights.

Such exchanges shall take place in a confidential.

The CGLPL: titleContent may also request information and documents from the institution's management or from any person in a position to provide information on the situation.

In principle, such information and supporting documents must obligatory be delivered to him within a time limit which he shall lay down.

However, the persons responsible for the detention facility may refuse to disclose such information and documents if they have serious grounds (e.g. national defense secret, professional secrecy of the lawyer, secret investigation or the training).

FYI  

The GLPL may also have access to information concerning the health status of a person deprived of liberty, if he or she has given his or her consent.

After each visit, the CGLPL: titleContent send a visit report to the ministers responsible for the establishment in question.

This report mainly concerns the state, organization or functioning of the place of deprivation of liberty.

If it has found that the fundamental rights of persons deprived of their liberty, it shall forward recommendations to the competent authorities (e.g. penal institution).

These authorities must reply to him within a time limit which he shall lay down.

At the end of this period, the GLPL shall verify whether or not the reported violation of fundamental rights has been terminated.

Please note

These reports and recommendations may be made public.

If he has knowledge of facts which could constitute a infringement (example: violence against a detainee), the CGLPL: titleContent alert on public prosecutor.

If a public official has committed an act that may result in disciplinary proceedings, the GLPL shall notify the disciplinary bodies of the institution concerned.

The public prosecutor and disciplinary bodies must inform the CGLPL: titleContent the follow-up they gave to his approach.

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