L'étranger incarcéré
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Abstract EN:
Over the last few years, criminal statistics have shown a particularly high rate of imprisoned foreigners. Without masking the existence of a specific type of criminality, a question needs to be asked in view of the results : is foreign origin a factor of differentiation or not in the process which leads to imprisonment ? a priori, criminal law has authority to be applied to offenders without distinguishing them according to their nationality. Nevertheless, the statistical observation of criminality and the reaction it provokes testifies a reality interspersed with specific consequences and differences to the detriment of nonnationals. The foreigner finds him/herself at the heart of a legal system which, whilst organising his/her legal existence in france, interferes in a dominating way in the mechanisms for repressing criminality of which he/she may be the subject. Acting directly or indirectly in the repressive process, legislation rela, ting to the conditions of entry into and stay in france thus appears as the main instrument of a differential social reaction. But the imprisonment of foreigners also reveals criminal law's repressive function. From guarantees of representation required with greater firmness to measures of individualisation applied parsimoniously, law contributes to making the imprisoned foreigner a victim : the chosen (ineluctable ?) person in a sacrificial process for a sacrifice allegedly essential to common security.
Abstract FR:
Depuis quelques annees, les statistiques criminelles revelent un taux annuel d'etrangers incarceres particulierement eleve. Sans occulter l'existence d'une delinquance specifique, une question se pose au vu des resultats : l'extraneite est-elle ou non un facteur de differenciation dans le processus qui mene vers l'incarceration ? a priori, le droit penal a vocation a s'appliquer aux delinquants sans distinguer selon leur nationalite. Pourtant, l'observation statistique de la delinquance et de la reaction qu'elle suscite atteste d'une realite ponctuee de differences et d'inconvenients specifiques au detriment des nonnationaux. L'etranger se trouve, en effet, au coeur d'une legislation qui, tout en organisant son existence juridique sur le territoire francais, interfere de maniere preponderante dans les mecanismes de la repression penale dont il peut etre l'objet. Agissant directement ou indirectement sur le processus repressif, la legislation relative aux conditions d'entree et de sejour sur le territoire francais apparait ainsi comme l'instrument principal d'une reaction sociale differentielle. Mais l'incarceration de l'etranger revele egalement la fonction repressive de la justice penale. Des garanties de representation requises avec plus de fermete aux mesures d'individualisation appliquees avec parcimonie, la justice concourt a faire de l'etranger incarcere une victime : l'elu (ineluctable ?) d'un processus sacrificiel pour un sacrifice pretendu "indispensable a la securite commune".