# Prison overcrowding in France: record number of inmates and acknowledgment by Gérald Darmanin > Late October, Strasbourg associations announced their participation in the 33rd National Prison Days, from November 5 to December 1, devoted to prison overcrowding. On November 2, French prisons held 90,937 inmates as of October 1, a new record, up 7.2 percent year-on-year. On November 3, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin acknowledged prison overcrowding that "is a disgrace to France," while the situation remained very tense at Valenciennes prison. On November 4, some 9,000 inmates were sleeping on mattresses, according to reports. On November 5, the Court of Justice of the Republic dismissed the complaint by 140 inmates at Nîmes remand prison against Gérald Darmanin for failure to assist a person in danger. **In brief**: Ongoing story bringing together 6 events in 4 departments (Gard, Gironde, Nord and 1 more), followed from 31 October 2026 to 5 November 2026. 20 articles from 14 sources (justice, security); last updated on 5 November 2026 at 23:00. - Status: ongoing - Category: Justice, Security - Place: Gard, Gironde, Nord, Bas-Rhin - First detected: 31 October 2026 at 08:19 - Updated: 5 November 2026 at 23:00 - Web page: https://acturadar.com/en/stories/303-prison-overcrowding-in-france-record-number-of-inmates-and-acknowledgment-by ## Timeline (6 events) ### 31 October 2026 — [Strasbourg: National Prison Days dedicated to prison overcrowding](https://acturadar.com/en/events/5780-strasbourg-national-prison-days-dedicated-to-prison-overcrowding.md) From November 5 to December 1, Strasbourg associations take part in the 33rd National Prison Days on the theme 'France facing its prisons', with workshops, conferences and screenings. 1 sources, 2 articles · Strasbourg — Bas-Rhin ### 2 November 2026 — [Prisons: 90,937 inmates on October 1, new record](https://acturadar.com/en/events/7359-prisons-90-937-inmates-on-october-1-new-record.md) French prisons counted 90,937 inmates on October 1, a new record, with a 7.2% increase over one year in a context of chronic prison overcrowding. 11 sources, 13 articles · Nationwide ### 3 November 2026 — [Darmanin acknowledges prison overcrowding that "brings shame on France"](https://acturadar.com/en/events/7899-darmanin-acknowledges-prison-overcrowding-that-brings-shame-on-france.md) Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, a guest on BFM-RMC on November 3, acknowledges that prison overcrowding has reached unacceptable levels in some facilities. 1 sources, 1 articles · Nationwide ### 3 November 2026 — [Persistent overcrowding at Valenciennes prison](https://acturadar.com/en/events/8385-persistent-overcrowding-at-valenciennes-prison.md) The number of inmates at Valenciennes prison remains very high, making the situation "untenable" according to staff. 1 sources, 1 articles · Valenciennes — Nord ### 4 November 2026 — [Surpopulation carcérale : 9 000 détenus dorment sur des matelas](https://acturadar.com/en/events/9094-surpopulation-carcerale-9-000-detenus-dorment-sur-des-matelas.md) Selon des informations, environ 9 000 détenus dorment sur des matelas dans les prisons françaises, conséquence d'une surpopulation devenue ingérable. 1 sources, 1 articles · Nationwide ### 5 November 2026 — [The CJR dismisses the complaint filed by 140 Nîmes prisoners against Gérald Darmanin](https://acturadar.com/en/events/10480-the-cjr-dismisses-the-complaint-filed-by-140-nimes-prisoners-against-gerald.md) The Court of Justice of the Republic has dismissed the complaint filed in July by lawyer Khadija Aoudia on behalf of 140 inmates at the Nîmes detention centre against Gérald Darmanin for failure to assist a person in danger. 2 sources, 2 articles · Nîmes — Gard --- Cite as: Acturadar, “Prison overcrowding in France: record number of inmates and acknowledgment by Gérald Darmanin”, https://acturadar.com/en/stories/303-prison-overcrowding-in-france-record-number-of-inmates-and-acknowledgment-by Methodology: https://acturadar.com/en/methodology