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centrale” section (for people serving long sentences) prison of Château-Thierry had
psychosis. 118 The director of the prison explained to Human Rights Watch that the “maison
centrale” of Château-Thierry had a capacity of 101 places, but that 75 prisoners were held
there following the findings of the report by the Prison Administration that it should not be
filled at more than 75 percent of its capacity. On the day of the visit by Human Rights
Watch, the director stated that “most of the people here are very ill, a large part are very
dangerous.” And yet at the time of the visit, there was the equivalent of 0.9 of a full-time
psychiatrist, shared between three practitioners, and two psychologists shared the
equivalent of 1.5 full-time posts. 119
“There is a problem with recruiting psychiatrists,” Elise Theveny, deputy director of the
prison of Poissy, where men serving long sentences are held, told Human Rights Watch.
“The psychiatrist in Poissy is alone, on the equivalent of 0.7 of a full time position. It is not
a budgetary problem,” she said. 120
In the prison of Nanterre, at the time of the visit by Human Rights Watch in May 2015 there
was the equivalent of 1.5 full time psychiatrists. 121 Nine hundred and ninety-three inmates
were detained in the prison that day. 122
Speaking of the insufficient presence of medical professionals in the facility, Bénédicte
Riocreux, director of the prison of Château-Thierry told Human Rights Watch that “the
geographic location isn’t attractive, working in prison isn’t attractive (…) In the summer,
when the doctors are on holiday, they’re not always replaced for the whole duration [of
their absence].” 123
118 Senators Gilbert Barbier, Chistiane Demontès et al., Prisons et troubles mentaux : Comment remédier aux dérives du
système français ? Rapport d’information n°434 (2009-2010), May 2010, http://www.senat.fr/rap/r09-434/r09-434.html
(accessed July 16, 2015).
119 Human Rights Watch interview with Bénédicte Riocreux, Director of the prison of Château-Thierry, Château-Thierry, May
12, 2015.
120 Human Rights Watch interview with Elise Theveny, deputy director of the prison of Poissy, Poissy, March 19, 2015.
121 Human Rights Watch interview with the head of the medical unit in the prison of Nanterre, May 28, 2015.
122 Human Rights Watch interview with Jimmy Delliste, director of the prison of Nanterre, Nanterre, May 28, 2015.
123 Human Rights Watch meeting with Bénédicte Riocreux, director of the prison of Château-Thierry, Château-Thierry, May 12,
2015.
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