SEYSSES: Inmates at a prison in southwestern France are struggling to cope as a heatwave grips the region.
Fans hummed in every corner, and sheets hung from windows at an overcrowded prison near Toulouse.
Temperatures pushed past 36 degrees Celsius, an AFP journalist observed on Thursday.
Southern France is in the grip of a heatwave, making conditions “unbearable” for inmates at Seysses detention centre.
The prison held more than twice its capacity in June, exacerbating the heat crisis.
“Having two people per cell has become the exception,“ said one guard, who requested anonymity.
Detention centres across France are over capacity, with facilities ill-equipped for frequent heatwaves.
Heat increases security risks, with fights becoming “more frequent” as temperatures rise, the guard noted.
“The slightest annoyance can spark a fight,“ the guard added.
Temperatures are expected to hit 40C this weekend, with Monday forecast as the hottest day nationwide.
Inmates described their 9-square-metre cells as stifling, with walls absorbing heat and condensation forming.
“We’re not asking for air conditioning, but more ventilation or larger cells,“ one detainee said.
Experts warn heatwaves will grow more frequent due to climate change.
At Seysses, a two-hour break in a treeless asphalt courtyard offers little relief.
Mist sprayers will not be installed until next summer, leaving inmates with few cooling options.
Women inmates avoid the recreation yard entirely, staying in their cells due to extreme heat.
Those who do venture outside mostly stay in the shade, though some exercise despite the blistering conditions.
Prison staff distribute free water and provide fans to vulnerable individuals, including elderly or ill inmates.
Poorly ventilated facilities like the library and gym offer little escape from the heat.
“It gets very, very hot very quickly,“ a guard said of the workout room.
Sleep brings little relief, with one inmate forced to sleep on a concrete floor due to overcrowding.
“Sleeping is difficult because it’s concrete and quite hot,“ she said.
“But we have no choice.” - AFP
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