Clashes at France prison protest

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Prison guards in France have clashed with police during protests against overcrowding in French jails.

At France's largest prison, Fleury-Merogis, south of Paris, wardens began a four-day action by setting barricades on fire and hampering inmate transfers.

Police used tear gas to dispel the protesters and open access to the jail.

Overcrowding in French prisons is amongst the worst in Europe and has been linked to high suicide rates, inmate violence and attacks on staff.

The unions representing the prison officers say they have started four days of "progressive blockades" outside French jails as they seek to draw attention to conditions within the country's institutions.

"We need to have the resources to manage prison overcrowding", said Jean-Francois Forget, head of the UFAP union, told the AFP news agency.

Offer to talk

French prisons have been built to accommodate some 52,000 inmates but are currently holding more than 63,000 prisoners.

Fleury-Merogis is the largest prison in Europe, built to accommodate 2,855 inmates, TV network France 24 reports.

Prison reform is likely to be a key concern for a new justice minister

However, the facility is currently holding some 3,700 people, prison director Paul Louchouarn told the network.

Monday's protests were attended by several hundred wardens, who turned up for the action on their day off because prison staff in France do not have the right to strike.

The extent of the blockades meant prisoners had to be transferred in convoys under police escort.

Some court hearings had to be delayed as defendants arrived late.

Justice Minister Rachida Dati has offered to meet union leaders on Tuesday to discuss their demands.

Ms Dati is a divisive figure in France and is due to step down from her post to stand in forthcoming European elections. The task of pushing through substantial prison reform is likely to fall to her successor.

Last year 115 inmates in French jails took their own lives, estimated to be twice as many as in the UK or in Germany, the Council of Europe says.

Already this year some 50 other have killed themselves, as well as 10 prison officers, the BBC's Emma Jane Kirby reports from Paris.

The Council has criticised the French prison system, branding it one of the most overcrowded in in Western Europe.