Between Law and Professional Knowledge: Action by the Members of the French contrôleur général des lieux de privation de liberté

Drawing on a series of interviews and ethnographic fieldwork, this contribution studiesthe particular approach of the French Contrôleur général des lieux de privation de liberté,an independent inspectorate created in 2007 to guarantee respect of fundamental rightsfor all detained persons. The official aim of this institution – to prevent any violationof rights – is indeed distinct from the work of an ombudsman or that of an administrative inspection unit. Better comprehension of this preventive task first requires theanalysis of the shared conception by members of the Contrôleur’s mission and methods,and their will to go beyond the mere prescriptions in positive law in their assessment ofplaces of confinement. The observation of “control visits” in the field then shows howthe actual “control job” combines the mobilization of legal provisions, and a reference toa shared common sense on what is “acceptable” or “unacceptable” behaviour in prison.