Visitor accompanying persons under court proceedings

Verified 10 April 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

The accompanying visitor contributes voluntarily to the reintegration into the business of a person subject to legal proceedings. In particular, he accompanies this person in his administrative formalities and during activities organized outside the prison. Anyone of age with a clean criminal record can become an accompanying visitor. We present you with the information you need to know.

The accompanying visitor is a volunteer with the National Association of Visitors of Persons under the Law (ANVP). Its mission is to accompany and support a person who carries out his sentence (or the end of his sentence) by open environment.

The accompanying visitor always intervenes outside the prison (for example, meetings can take place in a café). It acts with the aim of contributing to the reintegration of a convicted person who is isolated or whose entourage is not sufficiently present.

The mission of the accompanying visitor is in addition to the care provided by the Prison Integration and Probation Services (PIPS).

Warning  

Do not confuse accompanying visitors with prison visitor.

Before starting their volunteer activity, the accompanying visitor signs a charter in which all these obligations are set out. This Charter is also signed by the SPIP on which the person subject to legal proceedings.

The accompanying visitor undertakes to:

  • Follow several training courses organized by SPIP and ANVP. These training courses must take place as the support is provided.
  • Dedicating time to volunteer activities, without interfering with their professional and personal activities
  • Accompany the person under custody without profit (for example, he cannot accept a sum of money or a gift from the convicted person)
  • Accompany the person placed under the court while respecting the tasks of the SPIP
  • See the Prison Insertion and Probation Counselor (CPIP) of the sentenced person before taking any decision concerning him or her. The accompanying visitor must contact the convicted person's PIPC. He shall provide him with any information that may be useful for the follow-up of the sentenced person and for the proper conduct of the assistance.
  • Not trying the situation of the person placed under the custody of the court (whether in relation to his or her private life or his or her criminal record)
  • Be impartial in their relationship with the various people they accompany. He can only offer solutions that are part of his volunteer activity (for example, he is forbidden to offer accommodation to the person under court custody)

The accompanying visitor commits for at least one year. During this year, the time dedicated to the accompaniment is fixed according to the needs of the person placed under hand of justice and the time that the accompanying visitor can reserve for his volunteer activity.

The accompanying visitor contributes to the rehabilitation of the convicted individual or whose entourage is not sufficiently present. He follows the person in his steps and during activities carried out outside the prison.

Support is mainly based on support and listening to the person on trial. Specifically, the accompanying visitor has the following mission:

  • Organize exchange times with the person under the court's custody (for example, these exchanges may take place in a café)
  • Facilitate access to public services. It helps the person before the courts to do their administrative work, particularly related to housing, health or access to rights. For example, it can assist the offender in completing an application for housing assistance or an application for assistancelegal aid
  • To support the person under the court's supervision to manage his budget
  • Set up tutoring sessions, based on their professional experience
  • To accompany the person with justice during cultural or associative outings (for example, the accompanying visitor can accompany the person to the cinema or in groups of words)

Conduct of meetings

The first meeting between the accompanying visitor and the person in custody takes place at the premises of the SPIP. The Prison Insertion and Probation Counselor (CPIP) of the person under the custody of the court also takes part in the interview.

At this meeting, the three parties set out the objectives and modalities of the support. In doing so, they shall take into account the needs of the person who carries out his sentence in open environment.

Other appointments cannot be arranged on the premises of the SPIP. The location of the meetings is determined by the SPIP and the ANVP. Depending on the personality of the person placed under the custody of the court and whether or not there are judicial prohibitions, certain public places may be envisaged (for example, a library, a museum or a cafe).

Warning  

Appointments may never take place at the home of the accompanying visitor or the person under the court's supervision.

Communication between the accompanying visitor and the person under the law

The accompanying visitor and the person under court custody may call, communicate by text message or by email. The accompanying visitor must not give his/her private number to the person he/she is accompanying.

As a security measure, the prison administration makes a mobile phone available to each accompanying visitor. In addition, the CPIP sets the limits of communication between the accompanying visitor and the person under the court's supervision.

Payment of the costs due for accompanying

Part of the costs of the accompaniment may be borne by the prison administration. The remainder will be paid by the person under the court's care (for example, if the accompanying visitor pays for museum admission, he or she may ask the prison administration for a refund).

The rules on the reimbursement of these costs are laid down in a protocol signed by the NAPA and the prison administration. (for example, if the accompanying visitor pays for admission to the museum, he or she may request a refund from the prison administration).

Accompanying visitors also enjoy the same social protection as prison visitors. They are fully covered in the event of an accident on duty or while traveling as part of an intervention outside prison.

Duration of support

The duration of the accompaniment shall be determined according to the needs of the person under the custody of the court. It terminates at the same time as SPIP support.

To become an accompanying visitor, you must:

  • Being of age
  • Have a clean criminal record
  • Obtain approval from prison services

Application for approval

A request must be addressed to the Director of the IPPC on which the person under judicial supervision depends. The applicant shall provide the following information:

  • Surname, first name, date and place of birth
  • Nationality
  • Family status (e.g. single, married, etc.)
  • Occupation
  • Personal Address
  • Prison(s) with which he wishes to intervene

The applicant must attach the following documents:

  • Photo ID
  • Photocopy of vital card
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Case Processing

The examination of the application shall include an interview with the local IPPC manager (director of the local insertion and probation office).

This interview allows the candidate to understand the role of accompanying visitors, and the SPIP to assess the candidate's suitability for the role of accompanying visitor.

It is also used to assess human relationships, psychological balance, and the availability of the candidate.

The director of the SPIP prepares a report and seeks the opinion of the prefect of the candidate's home department.

The file is then forwarded to the Interregional Director of Prison Services (the superior of the Director of the IPPC), who takes the final decision.

Decision

The accompanying visitor is approved for a period of 2 years. Approval may be renewed upon written request of the accompanying visitor.

As soon as he approves, he may meet the person on trial, designated by the SPIP. In general, the accompanying visitor follows only one person. However, depending on local needs and the availability of the accompanying visitor, it may be offered to follow several.

Approval can be withdrawn in two ways:

  • Of its own motion, by the prison administration
  • By decision of the judicial authorities (judge of the application of sentences and public prosecutor). In this case, the accompanying visitor is informed that the withdrawal has been requested by the judicial authorities.

In cases of urgency and for serious reasons, approval may also be suspended by the Director of the SPIP in which the beneficiary person is followed. In this case, the Interregional Director of Prison Services shall be immediately informed of the situation which led to this request for suspension.

Apart from cases where withdrawal is ordered by the judicial authorities, the accompanying visitor is informed of the reasons why the prison administration wishes to suspend or withdraw his authorization. For example, failure to comply with an obligation set out in the charter of commitment may lead to the suspension or withdrawal of approval.

The accompanying visitor can defend himself orally before the prison administration. In the course of that interview, he may be assisted by a lawyer.

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