Life in prison: rules to be followed by detainees

Verified 16 September 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)

As a detainee, what rules should you follow as soon as you enter prison? The prison's rules of life are laid down in the rules and regulations of each prison. If you do not comply with them, you may be subject to disciplinary action because of the misconduct you have committed. You have the possibility to challenge the sanction imposed on you by referring the matter to the Interregional Director of Prison Services.

FYI  

During your incarceration, a inmate guide arriving is handed to you. It incorporates all the general rules laid down by rules and regulations.

As soon as you arrive in prison, you have to respect different rules including:

  • Obey instructions set by prison staff
  • Do not commit of infringement (consumption of drugs, violence, theftetc.)
  • Respect prison staff and other inmates
  • Respect the functioning of the penitentiary establishment
  • Respect the schedules set by the prison supervisors (for example, you cannot leave your cell during the night)
  • Wear a decent and appropriate outfit when you are out of your cell
  • Smoking only in your cell or in the walkways
  • Respect the furniture at your disposal in your cell. You can arrange your cell as you wish, but you must not degrade the equipment at your disposal
  • Maintain items loaned by the prison administration (e.g. books, newspapers)
  • Do not hold a dangerous object, facilitating suicide, assault or escape
  • Justifying the possession of medication by prescription
  • Do not consume alcohol
  • Do not hold cash, checkbook or credit card.

Please note

If you do not speak English, the rules and regulations of these rules can be translated into your language.

If you do not comply with the prison rules, the prison supervisor present at the time of the incident (or the one who is informed of it) reports to the prison officials.

Then, an investigation is carried out into the facts and your personality. This investigation results in a report.

Then the head of the penitentiary can make the decision to prosecute you.

Disciplinary procedures applicable to detainees major different from the one for inmates minors.

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Major

The head of the prison may decide to take disciplinary action against you.

If you have committed a minor offense (e.g. non-compliance with schedules), they can offer you an alternative to disciplinary proceedings.

Disciplinary proceedings
Procedure

When the head of the penitentiary considers that the fault you committed justifies disciplinary proceedings, he summons you before a disciplinary committee.

This summons specifies:

  • The date and time you must appear before the Disciplinary Committee
  • The facts alleged against you and the penalties incurred
  • The period during which you can prepare your defense (at least 24 hours before the date of the summons)
  • The possibility of having a lawyer of your choice or court clerk
  • The possibility for you and your lawyer to access the elements of the file (for example, audio or visual recordings).

Before making its decision, the Disciplinary Committee listens to your observations (and, if you wish, those of your lawyer).

You can also call witnesses. If you do not speak French, you have the right to an interpreter.

FYI  

Before the Disciplinary Committee, you may be confined to an ordinary individual cell or a disciplinary cell (or stingy). This measure is only taken if you have committed a serious offense (e.g. violence against another inmate) and confinement is the only way to end the offense or preserve order in the prison. Containment cannot last more than 2 working days (5 days including weekends and public holidays).

Penalties applicable

The Disciplinary Committee may impose one of the following penalties:

  • Warning
  • Ban on receiving money from outside during a maximum period of 2 months
  • Deprivation of performing purchases in the canteen during a maximum period of 2 months. This ban cannot apply to hygiene products, mail-order items and tobacco
  • Prohibition on the use of equipment purchased or rented by you through the prison administration (e.g. television)
  • Deprivation of a cultural, sporting or leisure activity for a maximum period of 1 month
  • Carrying out cleaning, refurbishment or maintenance work on cells or prison premises for a maximum of 40 hours. This sanction can only be pronounced if you have previously consented to it.
  • Confinement in an ordinary individual cell with deprivation of any equipment purchased or rented through the administration (e.g. television)
  • Placed in a disciplinary cell.

The penalty you may be subject to depends on the seriousness of the act you have committed.

Alternative measure

If you acknowledge the facts you are accused of, the head of the prison proposes one of the following measures:

  • Reminder to the rule
  • Writing a letter of apology (for example, to your fellow inmate)
  • Writing a piece of writing about the fault you committed and the injury that she caused
  • Meeting, in the presence of a third party, with the person your behavior has affected. For that to happen, that person must have given his or her consent
  • Conducting an awareness campaign related to the offense you committed (for example, awareness of the harmful effects of alcohol)
  • Deprivation of the ability to make purchases other than hygiene products, correspondence kits and tobacco during a maximum 8 days
  • Deprivation of one or more cultural, sporting or leisure activities during a maximum 8 days
  • Cleaning, refurbishment or maintenance of prison cells or premises for a period not exceeding 10 hours.

If you give your consent, the head of the penitentiary shall give you a written statement indicating that you have consented to the measure proposed to you.

This document also mentions the facts alleged against you and the period during which you must carry out the measure.

FYI  

You have 48 hours to withdraw your consent.

If you do not carry out all or part of the measure, you may be subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Minor

When the head of the penitentiary considers that the fault you committed justifies disciplinary proceedings, he summons you before a disciplinary committee.

This summons specifies:

  • The date and time you must appear before the Disciplinary Committee
  • The facts alleged against you and the penalties incurred
  • The period during which you can prepare your defense (at least 24 hours before the date of the summons)
  • The possibility of having a lawyer of your choice or court clerk
  • The possibility for you and your lawyer to access the elements of the file (for example, audio or visual recordings).

Before making its decision, the Disciplinary Committee listens to your observations (and if you wish, those of your lawyer).

You can also call witnesses. If you do not speak French, you have the right to an interpreter.

The disciplinary sanctions you may be subject to depend on your age.

Under 16

If you have committed a disciplinary offense, the Disciplinary Board may impose one of the following penalties:

  • Warning
  • Unable to make orders at the canteen during 15 days maximum
  • Unable to watch TV during 15 days maximum
  • Unable to use any of your devices (for example, your radio) while 15 days maximum
  • Inability to do a cultural or sporting activity during 1 month maximum
  • Obligation to perform work in the prison to repair the fault that was made
  • Confinement of 3 days in an individual cell (if you have committed serious misconduct).
Between 16 and 18 years

If you have committed a disciplinary offense, the Disciplinary Board may subject you to one of the following sanctions:

  • Warning
  • Unable to make orders at the canteen during 15 days maximum
  • Unable to watch TV during 15 days maximum
  • Unable to use any of your devices (for example, your radio) while 15 days maximum
  • Inability to do a cultural or sporting activity during 1 month maximum
  • Obligation to perform work in the prison to repair the fault that was made
  • Prohibition of cell output during 7 days maximum except for walks, for education or training
  • Placement in disciplinary cell
  • Prohibition from taking the training you are enrolled in during 3 days maximum.

Warning  

If you have committed a offense, you may also be subject to prosecution before the criminal courts.

If you do not agree with the sanction taken by the Disciplinary Committee, you can challenge it by making a compulsory prior administrative appeal (Rapo).

Your appeal, accompanied by the contested decision, must be forwarded to the interregional director of prison services (DISP) of the place where you are being held.

You have 15 days after the notification of this decision.

Who shall I contact

Please note

You can call on a lawyer to help you in your steps (example: drafting and filing of the appeal).

If you do not have sufficient resources to pay this professional, you can possibly make a application for legal aid.

The interregional director of prison services has 1 month to respond to you. Failure to reply within that period means that your appeal is dismissed.

In the absence of an answer or if the decision of the DISP seems unsatisfactory to you, you can make a litigation before the administrative court.

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