Detainees at the security-focused wing of the Alençon-Condé-sur-Sarthe (61) prison are struggling to access medical care, particularly dental treatment, with both the prison and the local hospital avoiding responsibility for the delays. Kévin, a detainee transferred to the facility in November 2025, experienced severe tooth pain upon arrival and requested a dentist appointment, but received no response for two months. By February, he finally saw a dentist who recommended the removal of his wisdom teeth. However, after the procedure, he continued to suffer for over a month and a half without adequate pain medication. He was eventually taken to the Alençon hospital in mid-March, where the remaining piece of his tooth was removed. Kévin’s lawyer, Maître Charly Salkazanov, has repeatedly tried to coordinate between the prison and the hospital, but both institutions have avoided taking responsibility. According to the prison code, detainees should have access to medical care comparable to that of the general population. However, the Alençon hospital, which provides medical staff to the prison, is understaffed. Kévin and nine other detainees, represented by Salkazanov, have now filed a legal procedure with the administrative court in Caen (14) to either secure more medical staff or allow detainees to be transported for necessary treatment. Other detainees, like Ernest, have also faced similar challenges in accessing dental care. Ernest requested a dentist appointment seven times since January 2026 but received no response. In a letter to a judge, he described a tooth fragmenting and losing part of it. Salkazanov noted that communication issues often lead to detainees missing scheduled appointments, as they are frequently unaware of when they are supposed to be seen. The head of the general control of places of deprivation of liberty (CGLPL), an independent oversight body, had previously highlighted the difficulty of obtaining specialist appointments in the prison, noting that dental care had been unavailable since October 2024. Despite this, the situation has not improved in the following year and a half. In May 2025, Salkazanov had filed a legal procedure against the prison administration to improve conditions for Kévin, but the request was denied by the Caen court. However, the CGLPL later issued urgent recommendations to address abuses in the prison, and the Caen court condemned the Minister of Justice for allowing such abuses by prison staff. The CGLPL’s 2022 annual report pointed out the lack of adequate dental care in prisons, noting that many detainees already suffer from pre-existing dental problems. Health authorities are expected to ensure access to necessary treatment, but in 2023, prison doctors and caregivers reported increasing difficulties due to a growing number of detainees and shrinking resources in public hospitals. Medical teams are stretched thin, and the QLCO’s special detention regime further complicates access to care. Under this regime, detainees are divided into groups of five that cannot interact with each other, making it hard for doctors to see multiple patients at once. The CGLPL has also received reports from prison doctor associations about refusals to perform extractions, which require significant logistical effort. The prison administration often prefers to avoid such procedures and instead tries to provide all care internally, despite the under-resourced health units. Kévin noted in a letter to his lawyer that the nurses at the QLCO feel ignored by the management and are restricted in their ability to provide necessary care.