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Dijon Prison Escape: One of Two Fugitives Recaptured After Sawing Through Cell Bars

French authorities recaptured one of two men who escaped Dijon prison by sawing through cell bars and lowering themselves with bed sheets. The arrested man, 32, is accused of violence against a partner; his 19-year-old accomplice, suspected in a drug-linked attempted murder, remains at large with about 100 officers searching. Unions reported the use of manual saw blades and highlighted chronic overcrowding at the 19th-century Dijon facility, which holds 311 inmates for 180 places. The incident follows a recent escape in Rennes and has intensified criticism of resource priorities in France's prison system.

06:34 AM, 11/29/2025Security
Dijon Prison Escape: One of Two Fugitives Recaptured After Sawing Through Cell Bars

French authorities announced they recaptured one of two inmates who escaped from Dijon prison after reportedly sawing through their cell bars and lowering themselves with bed sheets.

Olivier Caracotch, the prosecutor in Dijon, said the 32-year-old suspect was arrested south of the city. He is accused of violence against a partner. The younger escapee, a 19-year-old suspected of attempted murder in a case linked to drug trafficking, remained at large as roughly 100 officers continued the search.

Prison staff discovered the escape before dawn. A note left in the 32-year-old's cell said he had been held "too long," though officials did not immediately disclose how long he had been detained. Union representative Ahmed Saih said the inmates used "old-fashioned, manual saw blades" to cut through the bars; prosecutors declined to provide further operational details about the escape or how the bedding was used to descend.

The Dijon prison, built in 1853, is in poor condition and severely overcrowded: it houses 311 inmates for 180 places, according to the justice ministry. A recently released prisoner described extreme crowding, saying he had slept on the floor of a three-person cell while two others used the bunks.

This breakout follows a separate escape less than two weeks earlier in Rennes, where a 37-year-old convict slipped away during an outing to a planetarium on Nov. 14 and was later arrested in Nantes. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin dismissed the Rennes prison director after that incident, prompting outrage from prison unions. Three unions representing prison directors accused the minister of concentrating resources on high-security "supermax" facilities for the most dangerous drug traffickers and jihadist suspects while neglecting the majority of ordinary jails.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez publicly praised the police for the recent arrest. The events have reignited debate over prison conditions, staffing and resource allocation across the French penal system.

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