Analysis Interview

France: reintegration is everyone’s business

With more and more prisoners and a substantial recidivism rate, prison does not succeed in protecting society. Although reintegration is one of the missions of the prison administration, it is not considered to be of vital importance. Why?

Today, there are nearly 71,000 inmates in France. In 2006, there were less than 60,000. Thousands of prisoners serve their time in overcrowded prison institutions. How can this situation be remedied? In 2019, the French Prime Minister referred the question of reintegration to the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (ESEC)1. Antoine Dulin wrote the resulting notice, published last November. We met with him.


  1. The ESEC is a consultative assembly of the French Republic. Functioning similarly to parliamentary assemblies, the Council gathers throughout the year. It is made up of two hundred thirty-three members who represent French society. 

How can inmates become active participants in their journey despite prison’s tendency to disempower and dissocialise?

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I sincerely believe that people’s views can change through in-depth work, awareness, and opening of prisons.