A call for applications is being launched until the end of May by the DGOS, in conjunction with the General Directorate of Prison Administration and in coordination in particular with the ARS, in order to identify two penitentiary establishments which will host two new Rehabilitation Units for Drug Users (URUD) in a prison environment.
Rehabilitation Units for Drug Users (URUD) are experimental care structures installed within penitentiary establishments. Inspired by the model of the “therapeutic farm” of the Neuvic detention center (1), these units aim to provide a specific environment to treat addictions in prison. Unlike the traditional care provided in the general health unit of the prison, URUD is often a neighborhood or an identified wing where voluntary prisoners are grouped together to follow an intensive program, with several objectives (weaning or reduction of consumption, psychosocial rehabilitation, preparation for release). Admission to URUD is done on a voluntary basis. The inmate often signs a contract or a charter by which he undertakes to respect the rules of the unit, in particular abstinence and active participation in collective activities (workshops, discussion groups, sport, etc.), accompanied by a multidisciplinary team.
An interministerial Instruction of April 10, 2026* concerns the launch of a call for applications for the establishment and development of two new URUDs (see our box below) in a prison environment. This call for applications is being launched until the end of May by the Director General of Healthcare Supply (DGOS), in conjunction with the General Directorate of Prison Administration (DAGAP) and in coordination in particular with the Regional Health Agencies (ARS), in order to identify the two penitentiary establishments which will host these two new units.
The objective: to extend an already existing experiment (in particular at the Neuvic detention center) (1) to better care for detained people suffering from drug addiction. The project aims in particular to reduce the use of narcotics in prison, improve access to care and psychosocial rehabilitation, and prepare for release from the prison environment to avoid relapses and recidivism.
The instruction is aimed at health establishments and penitentiary structures that wish to collaborate to open these units. The allocated budget is €200,000 per year per unit over a period of three years (via the Addiction Fund).
What evaluation criteria?
The deployment is led by the DGOS and the DGAP. A rigorous evaluation, supported by the National Agency for Supporting the Performance of Health and Medical-Social Establishments (ANAP), is planned to measure the effectiveness of the system before possible generalization.
The examination and selection of projects will also be carried out by a selection committee bringing together the ministerial directorates concerned, including the DGOS and the General Directorate of Health, the interministerial mission to combat drugs and addictive behavior as well as, if necessary, experts from other institutions. At the end of the selection committee scheduled for June 2026, the results will be notified to each candidate.
As part of the examination of applications, “particular attention will be paid to the quality of the project”underlines the Ministry of Health, which includes:
- the “quality of the partnership” between all the actors involved;
- the “relevance of the project with regard to territorial needs”including in particular the prevalence of addictive behavior in the region concerned;
- the response to inequalities in access to care, “by favoring areas where the supply of addiction treatment is insufficient or unevenly distributed” ;
- the “consistency of coverage” territorial, in order “to avoid the presence of several Urud in the same region” ;
- taking into account overseas territories, which “may be prioritized based on specific needs and less accessibility to certain specialized resources”.
*Instruction interministérielle n° DGOS/P3/DGAP/IP2/2026/25 du 10 avril 2026 relative à l’appel à candidatures pour la mise en place et le développement de deux nouvelles unités de réhabilitation pour usagers de drogues (URUD) en milieu carcéral.
1- The therapeutic farm in a prison environment is a global care model that transforms detention into a course of social and health rehabilitation through an empowering community lifestyle. This concept is based on the voluntary commitment of prisoners who, in exchange for a more independent and peaceful living environment, invest in regular work and collective activities promoting the restoration of self-esteem. By closely involving prison staff and caregivers, this system aims to break with idleness and isolation to prepare for a lasting exit from addiction and delinquency. The Neuvic therapeutic farm served as a proof of concept to demonstrate that by treating prisoners as patient actors in their lives, we massively reduce incidents in detention and improve their chances of drug-free reintegration upon release. It is this model that URUD are now seeking to replicate and adapt in other prisons.
