Fifty detainees at Nouméa's Camp-Est prison in New Caledonia have filed a référé-liberté to denounce inhumane detention conditions. The action targets the Minister of Justice and is set for urgent review on October 20. The plaintiffs highlight overcrowding and dilapidated facilities, including poorly insulated maritime containers.
On October 17, 2025, a référé-liberté was filed at the Nouméa administrative court by 50 detainees from Camp-Est prison, nicknamed 'the prison of shame.' This unprecedented collective request challenges detention conditions described as 'inhumane and degrading treatment.' The hearing is scheduled urgently on the morning of Monday, October 20, targeting the Minister of Justice, who oversees prison administration in New Caledonia.
Camp-Est's name dates back to the colonial penal colony era. It consists of a cluster of old, dilapidated buildings where most inmates are housed in former maritime containers. These metal structures, poorly insulated, become stifling during the southern summer. Overcrowding compounds the neglect of these outdated facilities, worsening the issues.
Rather than a mutiny or hunger strike, the detainees opted to combine their testimonies for this legal action. This peaceful approach amplifies voices typically muffled behind cell doors, highlighting the prison's ongoing dysfunctions.