Filming in prison falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice – Penitentiary Administration (Ministère de la Justice – Administration Pénitentiaire).
The specific operating constraints of penitentiary establishments are such that the authorization of fiction film shoots is given only under exceptional circumstances, subject to the agreement of the director of the establishment in question and to the respect of strict terms concerning security by the film crews. The sites are almost all in operation and no long-term filming can be envisaged. Places that can be filmed are prison doors, airlocks, visiting rooms, workshops, activity rooms, courtyards. Certain military prisons can also accommodate filming (see “Armies and Defense Heritage”).
Some disused prisons, no longer under the authority of the Ministry of Justice or the Ministry of the Armed Forces, can be used for filming. The request must reach the corresponding town halls. These are sites accessible to filming temporarily before they are assigned and converted to other uses.