The management of the Sarreguemines remand center, in Moselle, wants to allow some inmates to obtain short remissions of sentence if they agree to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
This initiative is under discussion within the prison, reveals The Republican Lorrain. “The management is in favor,” says an internal source of the establishment in the regional daily. This procedure “would allow any incarcerated person, with a vocation to be released from prison in the coming months, to benefit from a short reduction in sentence, ranging from a few days to a maximum of fifteen days, in exchange for his acceptance to be vaccinated”.
The device would only concern “people detained for petty crimes, with short sentences,” said the source. People “imprisoned for sexual offenses, violence against minors and domestic or intrafamilial violence would in fact be excluded. Just like the detainees awaiting trial. ”
Facilitate reintegration procedures
The encouragement of inmates to be vaccinated in exchange for a reduction in sentence is not a first. The procedure has already been proposed in Guadeloupe. For its part, the remand center considers that it is in its role to “promote the social reintegration of prisoners who will in any case be confronted, upon their release from prison, with the obligation of the health pass. For example to follow training, find a job, take public transport … The objective of this procedure is to facilitate reintegration procedures ”.
For the moment, “no procedure of this type has been applied,” however, underlines the public prosecutor, Olivier Glady, in Le Républicain Lorrain. The sentencing commission will meet in September to determine whether the measure will be implemented in the remand center.
