https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed It's the scandal that has been splashed all over the French press and has put the justice minister under pressure, but to follow this one there are some crucial things to know, including about France's most popular reality TV show. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220824/what-is-kohlantess-and-why-is-everyone-in-france-talking-about-it Wed, 24 Aug 2022 11:07:14 +0200 what-is-kohlantess-and-why-is-everyone-in-france-talking-about-it The chocolate sauce bubbling in a bain-marie is a staple of cookery programmes, but this is food porn with a twist, as France's newest celebrity chef cooks up a storm in a corner of his prison cell. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210414/hells-kitchen-meet-the-french-prison-inmate-who-records-cookery-videos-from-his-cell Wed, 14 Apr 2021 18:00:21 +0200 hells-kitchen-meet-the-french-prison-inmate-who-records-cookery-videos-from-his-cell France will make serious intentional damage to the environment punishable by up to 10 years in prison as part of planned "eco-cide" law, government ministers said in remarks published Sunday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20201122/france-to-punish-eco-cide-with-prison-up-to-10-years Sun, 22 Nov 2020 16:46:54 +0100 france-to-punish-eco-cide-with-prison-up-to-10-years An inmate armed with a homemade weapon took two guards hostage at a high-security prison in northwest France on Tuesday before both were freed unharmed five hours later, authorities said. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190612/two-guards-freed-at-french-prison-as-hostage-standoff-ends Wed, 12 Jun 2019 10:25:32 +0200 two-guards-freed-at-french-prison-as-hostage-standoff-ends France has the grisly distinction of being the European country with the highest prison suicide rate, as well as being the country with by far the biggest number of people who manage to escape from jail, a new report says. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190402/french-prisons-have-most-suicides-in-europe Tue, 02 Apr 2019 11:38:50 +0200 french-prisons-have-most-suicides-in-europe A week-long French prison strike sparked by a spate of inmate attacks on guards looks set to enter a second week after unions on Saturday rejected proposals to end the standoff. https://www.thelocal.fr/20180121/french-prison-unions-vote-to-press-on-with-strike Sun, 21 Jan 2018 05:34:27 +0100 french-prison-unions-vote-to-press-on-with-strike Inmates at a French prison received a mysterious parcel delivery on Tuesday, with the unknown item arriving by drone. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170816/drone-makes-mysterious-delivery-to-french-prison Wed, 16 Aug 2017 17:41:46 +0200 drone-makes-mysterious-delivery-to-french-prison France will introduce a law by year's end that will end prison terms for cannabis use, although consuming the drug will remain a criminal offence, a government spokesman said on Friday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20170527/france-to-scrap-prison-terms-for-cannabis-users Sat, 27 May 2017 11:38:31 +0200 france-to-scrap-prison-terms-for-cannabis-users A badly overcrowded prison near Paris is infested with rats, cockroaches and bedbugs, France's prisons watchdog has said, confirming complaints from inmates. https://www.thelocal.fr/20161215/rats-bedbugs-and-overcrowding-watchdog-slams-french-prison Thu, 15 Dec 2016 11:01:06 +0100 rats-bedbugs-and-overcrowding-watchdog-slams-french-prison France's Minister of Justice, Jean-Jacques Urvoas, announced on Tuesday the end of French prison wings for radicalized inmates, promising a new "regime" instead. https://www.thelocal.fr/20161025/france-to-shut-down-de-radicalization-prison-wings Tue, 25 Oct 2016 14:26:47 +0200 france-to-shut-down-de-radicalization-prison-wings Campaigners filed a complaint against the French state Monday, denouncing overcrowding and filthy conditions in a prison near Paris infested with rats, cockroaches and bedbugs. https://www.thelocal.fr/20161004/france-taken-to-court-for-rat-and-roach-infested-prison Tue, 04 Oct 2016 10:28:30 +0200 france-taken-to-court-for-rat-and-roach-infested-prison France's Minister of Justice, Jean-Jaques Urvoas, has called for an additional 10,000 to 16,000 spots to be created in France's prisons. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160920/france-plans-to-make-16000-new-prison-spots Tue, 20 Sep 2016 17:33:39 +0200 france-plans-to-make-16000-new-prison-spots Ten prisoners have reportedly been relocated from Europe's biggest jail, after officials feared "an attempt to form a network". https://www.thelocal.fr/20160822/paris-prison-dismantles-suspected-radical-network Mon, 22 Aug 2016 12:41:35 +0200 paris-prison-dismantles-suspected-radical-network A French prisoner has had six more months tacked onto his sentence after he broadcast live from his cell and fielded questions about life in jail from curious law abiders. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160225/live-from-my-cell-another-french-prisoner-mocks-the-system Thu, 25 Feb 2016 14:42:10 +0100 live-from-my-cell-another-french-prisoner-mocks-the-system A French national, who is known as an Isis executioner and has trained French citizens to become killers, has been sentenced for 15 years, albeit in absentia. https://www.thelocal.fr/20160107/french-is-recruiter-sentenced-to-15-years-in-absentia Thu, 07 Jan 2016 16:09:19 +0100 french-is-recruiter-sentenced-to-15-years-in-absentia An ex-prisoner in France has successfully sued the state for placing him in a cell with smokers, a court in the northwestern town of Caen said on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20151009/french-state-fined-for-making-prisoner-share-cell-with-smokers Fri, 09 Oct 2015 10:29:12 +0200 french-state-fined-for-making-prisoner-share-cell-with-smokers A radicalized Frenchman has gone on the run after being granted a brief leave of absence from a prison in the suburbs of Paris. He reportedly told inmates they would "soon be hearing about him". https://www.thelocal.fr/20150928/converted-radicalist-on-the-run-from-paris-prison Mon, 28 Sep 2015 12:06:04 +0200 converted-radicalist-on-the-run-from-paris-prison The deputy governor of a high-security prison in northern France has been taken hostage by a "particularly dangerous inmate" who is thought to be armed, authorities said Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20150909/dangerous-inmate Wed, 09 Sep 2015 14:55:40 +0200 dangerous-inmate In a series of videos and photos more reminiscent of a holiday camp than a prison, an inmate in southern France has given a taste of his hedonistic life behind bars – including cannabis and mobile phones. https://www.thelocal.fr/20141030/french-inmate-show-off-drug-stash-on-facebook Thu, 30 Oct 2014 13:18:00 +0100 french-inmate-show-off-drug-stash-on-facebook The only prison in Paris, the notorious and historic La Santé was open this weekend for guided tours as it sits empty ahead of massive renovations. Here’s a look inside at a place that’s both fascinating and terrifying. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140922/a-look-inside Mon, 22 Sep 2014 19:25:00 +0200 a-look-inside