While in prison, you must be provided with clothes and bedding appropriate for the season. This is important to keep you healthy and to ensure a socially acceptable appearance.
Therefore, the prison administration must ensure that you have at least the following minimum items:
The prison administration must ensure that you have proper clothing. If you don’t have your own clothes, the prison administration must provide them. You are also allowed to buy clothing from the prison administration.
Appropriate clothing
Your clothing must be appropriate. This means that it must fulfil two basic functions:
- it has to be suitable for the climate. Therefore, you must be given clothing which protects your health - keeps you warm in winter and is light enough for a hot summer.
- the clothing must ensure a socially acceptable appearance. The provided clothes don’t have to be new, but they should be of an appropriate size and should not be dirty or overly worn.
Type of clothing
According to French law, you are allowed to wear your own clothes unless the director of the prison decides otherwise for reasons of order, security or cleanliness. You may also ask the administration to provide you with clothes. Outside of your cell, you should wear decent and appropriate clothing.
exception According to French law, religious clothing is not allowed in the common spaces, except in the prison’s room of worship. In this case, the religious clothing must be transported to the room of worship in a bag.
When you are allowed to leave the prison or when you are taken outside, you should be allowed to wear your own clothing. If you are taken before a judge and lack adequate clothing, the prison administration must provide you with clothing in good condition.
Cleanliness
You should have the opportunity to keep your clothes clean. According to French law, clothing should remain clean and in good condition. Underwear’s are washed frequently enough as to ensure their cleanliness.
You must have a separate bed with sufficient and appropriate bedding. This means you must have all the items that a person needs for sleeping. According to French law, you must be given a mattress, pillow, blanket, pillowcase, sheet and a towel.
The bedding must be:
- clean when issued
- kept in good order
- changed often enough to ensure its cleanliness
Prohibition against inhumane or degrading treatment
If you don’t have any bedding or clothes, or if they are inappropriate, this might lead to a violation of the prohibition against inhuman or degrading treatment. However, the effect that such a situation leaves on your physical and mental condition must reach a certain minimum level of severity. Minor deviations from the norm will not necessarily result in a human rights violation.
example If you were not given a blanket or a pillow for a month, it would most probably result in a violation of your rights. However, if you didn’t have a pillowcase on your pillow for a couple of days, most likely this would not be a violation of your rights.
Read more about how to evaluate whether your rights have been violated.
How to complain
If you believe that your rights have been violated, you should complain to the prison administration. Read more about how to complain.