Prisons occupy an important place in the media. Whether in relation to the lack of available places and resources allocated to the justice system, the insalubrity of buildings, or the construction of new prisons and the introduction of new security measures. In the media but seldom questioned, prison - present but distant, indomitable but troublesome - is one of those necessary things we'd rather not think about. Unfortunately, let's face it: hiding a reality doesn't make it go away.Today, in Benin and around the world, prison facilities are overcrowded, costly and inefficient. The situation of prisoners is getting worse and worse, with no real solutions being found by decision-makers. Rehabilitation, alternatives to incarceration and far less costly sentence adjustments have been shelved.