Prison Chaos Continues in France
In the heart of southwestern France, a routine search turned into a fist‑fight that sent seven prison officers to the hospital. One more violent episode earlier in the week had already rattled guards across the country, and now the French justice system is caught between an uprising of inmates and a strike run by the very people meant to keep them locked up.
Mont‑de‑Marsan: When “Restraints” Become a Punch
Monday morning, a squad of nine officers tried to restrain a known troublemaker. Instead of a calm compliance, the convict launched a full‑blown attack, handing out punches that left three officers with fractures and four with bruises that could be counted in a Christmas tree pattern.
- Five wounded, according to the justice ministry.
- Photographs show the convict “radicalised in prison,” a label that feels as serious as a prison cell.
- The assault came only four days after another incident in northern France.
Vendin‑le‑Vieil: Raspberries and Razzmatazz
Earlier that week, German prisoner Christian Ganczarski—who earned an 18‑year sentence for a 2002 synagogue bombing—lured guards with a pair of scissors and a razor blade. When he caught wind that he might be flown to the U.S. to answer questions about the September 11 terror attacks, he turned the kitchen into a crime scene, injuring three officers.
- Ganczarski’s motives? A mix of relief and revenge.
- He loaded a “tome of weapons and one big fury.”
- This sparked a strike wave: a dozen prisons went offline the next day.
Strikes & Resignation: The Guard’s Protest Reaches a New Height
Despite the resignation of the governor at Vendin‑le‑Vieil and President Emmanuel Macron’s pledge to overhaul the prison system by February’s end, the strike by the UFAP‑UNSA union marched on. Their main claim? “We’re not trained to handle radicalised detainees.”
- Guards feel over‑worked and under‑prepared.
- “The pressure on prisons is enormous”—said government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux.
- The spokesperson calls for dialogue and acknowledges the “anger that is being expressed.”
Looking Ahead
The French government promises a new roadmap for prisons, but with law‑enforcement staff in gridlock, the toughest battle may be balancing security with humane work conditions—a tough call for those who find justice on the front lines rather than on the sidelines.
