The European Human Rights Court has condemned France for the way it jailed an inmate in New Caledonia in 2011.
The public broadcaster in Noumea says this marks the first time the court has expressed itself about the conditions at the Camp Est prison, which is widely seen as one of the worst run by France.
The conditions at the prison have long been deemed unacceptable by expert missions sent by France after poor sanitation and overcrowding were criticised for many years by human rights organisations.
The jail has also seen riots - the last one last month.
Paris announced plans to extend the jail by 2016 but the city of Noumea refused to issue a building permit.