Insights

The Move

Moving the walls of a prison

< illustration © Mélanie Bouteille.

— Cities and Prisons, season 2.

Hidden prison, modern prison, dilapidated prison, “open” prison: wall to wall, Prison Insider investigated the links between city and prison. In partnership with Rescaled, we gave a number of different people a space to share their point of view.

Modern prison facilities are located on the outskirts of cities, away from the prisoners’ families, and they are extremely difficult to access.

Catherine Rechard is a photographer and a documentary filmmaker. She has worked on prisons for over 15 years. She has made two major contributions to Prison Insider: two perspectives on the interaction between cities and prisons. In this second article, she reflects on the origins and intentions of her documentary Le déménagement (The Move).

Film overview

The Rennes remand centre for men was built in the early 20th century and closed its doors in spring 2010 to make way for a facility with 690 spaces, located in an industrial estate on the outskirts of the city. The film Le déménagement (The Move) examines, alongside the prisoners and staff, the manner in which architecture determines behaviour and interferes with a prison’s operation.


Le déménagement (The Move)
52 min, Candela Productions, 2011.

Cities have disappeared from the landscape of jailed people.

Restricting visibility in any way generates risk.