The jails of Toulouse
Jean-Gabriel Barthélemy
Sipa Press
“This isn’t the Middle-Ages any longer; this is the 21st century.” This is how Christophe, inmate, describes the move from Toulouse’s Saint-Michel prison to that of Seysses. Pierre Bédier, Secretary of State in charge of the French Ministry of Justice’s property programme, says Saint-Michel, which was built in 1870, is “a disgrace to the Republic”. In January 2003, the jail’s 480 inmates were transferred to the recently-completed Seysses detention centre, located only 20 km away.
Preview
This futuristic-looking penal complex was designed to provide detainees with living conditions akin to those of a hotel: it boasts several private cells, professional catering services, a gym, a soccer field, a tennis court… On a more sober note, Seysses (capacity 596 prisoners) already has 696 beds. Several cells have to accommodate double the initially-planned number of detainees. Presently, only prisoners on day parole are housed at Saint-Michel; in the near future, however, the jail may again have to take on a number of full-time inmates.
In collaboration with Florence Saugues, Paris Match
