You should have the opportunity to fill your free time with activities as much as possible.
Generally, this includes an opportunity to read, write, watch television, listen to the radio, exercise or pursue a hobby that is compatible with your life in prison. You are also entitled to spend at least 1 hour outdoors every day. However, the extent to which other activities can be provided for you depends on the prison’s resources.
As a minimum the prison administration must grant you an opportunity to exercise or have a walk outdoors at least once a day. According to the French Penitentiary Code, you must have an opportunity to have access to outdoor activities for at least 1 hour every day.
The yard of the prison (or some other place for walks and outdoor exercise) must be accessible to persons with a disability as well. The space for outdoor activities should be big enough to actually do exercise or at least walk around. If the space is just big enough to take a couple of steps in each direction, this may, in the long run, violate your rights.
Prohibiting you to go outside should not be used as a way to punish you. This means that you should be allowed to go outside when you are in solitary confinement as well.
You have the right, not a duty to go outside for a walk or exercise, therefore, no one can force you to go for a walk if you don’t want to.
You are also allowed to engage in the physical activities organised by the prison unless your health does not permit it or if the head of prison forbids you to participate in them for security reasons. Every prison administration should plan different physical activities, including collective sports (football, basketball, martial arts etc.) and individual sports (bodybuilding etc.).
French law gives you the right to:
- regularly borrow books from the prison library
- engage in sociocultural activities organized by the prison
- either use your personal TV and radio or to watch TV in a special room outside your cell for a certain period of time
Prohibition against inhumane or degrading treatment
A lack of opportunity to do outdoor activities or any other activities in combination with other inappropriate conditions in prison, may lead to a violation of the prohibition against inhumane or degrading treatment. However, the effect this leaves on your physical and mental condition must reach a certain minimum amount of severity.
example If, for some reason, you are not allowed to take daily exercise once or twice, it will most likely not amount to a violation of your rights. However, if you are living in a small cell with a large number of other prisoners and you are allowed outside exercise only once every two weeks, this will probably violate your rights.
Read more about how to evaluate whether your rights have been violated.