VOICED: French scheme aims to improve prison conditions

Bottone, once imprisoned in France, now leads a government initiative to improve conditions for first-time offenders. Starting in Nanterre, the initiative includes colorful frescoes, clothes hooks, and free phone calls for inmates. Staff believe these changes can ease the difficult first hours in prison. French prisons face criticism for overcrowding and poor conditions, and this scheme aims to reduce suicides by reassuring inmates. If successful, similar programs may be implemented in other prisons, promoting dignity and potentially improving long-term outcomes.

What are some of the problems that French prisons have been criticized for?

What is the hope behind treating inmates with dignity from the start?