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Here we are in the women's prison in Rennes. It is the largest women's prison in Europe. It currently houses 230 detainees. In this video, we'll go to the workshop. This is where the prisoners work. We will go and watch a sports session with the prisoners. Next, we will exchange information with the prison reintegration and probation service and then we will go and serve the meal to the inmates in their cells. So now we're going to enter the prison. First security gate, like at an airport. Access to detention. Here we go. Christelle, how are you? How are you. And you?
Yeah, thanks. Christelle, what is your job here? Well, I'm a supervisor in the vagmestre, more commonly known as the detention postman. So I am in charge of controlling and monitoring incoming and outgoing mail. So we may be required to work in the canteens, the laundry, the visiting room, the US. It's truly a world within a world. So it's really a very rewarding profession. In your opinion, what are the qualities of a good prison guard? The ability to listen is extremely important. Observation is also used to gather different information, in order to take care of the population entrusted to us in the best possible way Rigour, composure too,
vigilance and security. Estelle, so where are we going now So now we're heading towards the garment workshops. This is where the detainees make the staff uniforms. How many people work here on this floor? 28 people detained in total, approximately forty. Great, thank you very much. Great. Good morning. When they arrive at the garment workshop, the inmates have to check in with this card, which she then leaves here. Hop! Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead, go ahead. Of course, go ahead, go ahead. Good morning. So there you have it, a score. Thank you so much. Perfect. Then she retrieves the tools right next to her. So it's closed with a CAN canen. So the tools are here. Numbered.
Therefore, each tool is identified with a person. So when they return, they come to get their tools. And when they go out, it's the same. They must return their tools, and before leaving, they must check that they have returned all their numbered T tools. How do you react if a tool is missing? We can't leave, there's a ban on moving out of the workshop and afterwards there could be an individual search to see where the tool is. So, Fabienne, you're the one in charge here, is that right? Yes, I am the garment manager at the Rennes facility. Why is it important for prisoners to have an activity, a job within the prison? This is important because there is already a salary for her. So it allows us to pay the civil parties, pay for their tobacco, prepare their
outings and also for the good of coming to work. Vanessa, pleased to meet you. Delighted. So you're being held here as a detainee, is that right Yes, I am being held here. What do you get out of working on a daily basis? It already gives me the fact of having a routine and allowing me to get up every day and have a rhythm every day here, to give a little bit of meaning to detention. Yes, absolutely yes. How many hours a day do you work here? Starts at 7:30, I finish at 11:45. Depending on the day, I work in the afternoon or not.
It's important to get up in the morning, to come to work, to have an activity that perhaps takes them out of their daily routine a little bit. Yes, and well, if they can adapt there, they will also be able to adapt to another job outside the home. Of course, the idea is also to prepare for what comes next, I imagine. How much money do you manage to earn per month? So if I have a full month, I'm at 400 and something after removing the civil parties who deduct. What are civil parties? These are the ones for whom compensation is paid to victims abroad All right. We're not allowed to have our phones here, is that it?
No not at all. Is it something you miss not having a phone, or not? Well, it's lacking without being lacking. Sometimes it feels good to be away from social media. Of course, of course. Well, thank you very much Vanessa anyway, and good luck. Thank you too. Justine, are you alright? The shape? Yes, it's fine. Justine, what's your job here? So, I am a spokesperson for the prison administration. So I don't only intervene for the women's prison in Rennes. I can speak about all the prisons in France and I initially am the director of
prison services, so the director of a prison. What percentage of the prison population do women represent? So women represent approximately 3% of the population cared for by the prison administration. So, in fact, the facility we are in here is the only one that exclusively cares for women. Everywhere else, it is neighborhoods that take care of women within penitentiary centers where men are also accommodated. We are in prison. I imagine there are many people who want to end their lives. How do we prevent all of this? Providing care for detainees in this area is a major issue for us. try to prevent the risk of harm that she could do to herself. Firstly, the
primary actor in this prevention is the supervisor who is with the detainee on a daily basis. He is the one who opens the door every day. He is the one who will be able to, in a manner of speaking, take the temperature, get a feel for the atmosphere with the detained person and see what their state of mind is. It is these exchanges of information that will allow us, at some point, to detect that a detained person is feeling more or less well and we can prevent at that moment a transition to the aging process . You can see that there are nets. What are they used for? So, this is to prevent detainees from throwing themselves down the stairs. All right. to end their lives.
Exactly. For example, so it's for safety rules. All right. And I also have some objects, you were saying? Yeah, it can be objects too, but mainly it's the people being held. Does it actually happen that prisoners want to end their lives ? Yes, unfortunately we have many cases in prison. We have implementation protocols with our multidisciplinary team and we are also in contact with the medical unit which is in charge of this and doing what is necessary. Here we are in one of the prison's exercise yards. Generally, here it's 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the afternoon. Here, in this courtyard max.
Behind me, there is a vegetable garden. Initially, this project was created to reconnect prisoners who were rather isolated. What you see here is not the case for all prisons. This is not a general rule. Simply because it is the only women's facility that accepts long sentences. Hello, how are you? It's fine and I'm delighted. We're making a YouTube report. Ah, good. Thank you so much. THANKS. So here we arrive at the sports area with the outdoor court. Ah yes, and that includes the football pitches. There's a little bit of street workout basketball hoop involved. Ah, that's interesting. So this is the
cardio room. Yeah, exactly. So the detainees can go cycling, skiing, and use the treadmill. There is quite a bit of equipment made available to them. Bike, bike erg, ramur ererg. They can prepare an aerox here. So now we're going into the next room. That's the multi-sports hall over there. Good morning. Amazing. Nicolas. You are a sports coach here. Delighted. Nice to meet you, Tibo. Thank you very much for having us.
Basically, you're a prison guard. That's it. So yes, I joined the prison administration in '93 and after that, I took the sports instructor exam. A few years ago now, I was in a fan career and uh currently, I am well of legal age, a sports instructor. At what frequency can prisoners come to do sports? I would say 2 hours of sport daily. So what kind of activity do you have them do So, we've developed erox a lot. I am a skilled aviator and so I also put this in place at the women's pay center. Laura, pleased to meet you. Delighted. Thank you so much. So, you're being held here? Yes, that's it. How often do you come to do sports? between 7 and 10 hours a week and then the rest of the time I'm in my cell because I'm also a student at the
same time, I'm doing a law degree so I'm in my cell a lot revising. Was it hard the first few years being locked up so much because, well, obviously at the beginning we're in a remand prison so that means we're locked up 24/7 in several cells, we don't all have the same education, we don't all come from the same background, so sometimes it can be a little complicated. We see inmates who do sports here, how does it help them to do sports every day? Well, listen, it's mainly a relief, there are inmates with a super complicated background, the fact of coming to sports is already the first step, I mean,
in Better than a prison. Many are isolated, remain in their cells, very few go out. So we're going to go looking for them a little bit. We offer them different sporting activities, we try to develop equipment that meets their needs. What can we say to people in the comments who will say "Well, actually, it's better than Club Made here?" So, you have to understand that we still have long-term sentences here at the women's penitentiary center. So, automatically, we need to know how to keep them occupied. As I was saying earlier, sport is a valve. If that's not in place in detention, it could be a powder keg. So, thankfully that's what we have. The equipment, we have to have
demanding equipment that meets expectations because it's for everyday use. We sometimes train for up to 7 hours a day on the same machine. Therefore, we need quality equipment. So thanks to that, we can indeed persevere within the workplace. How does it feel to be locked up? Do you sometimes forget about yourself a little bit because you're doing sports? How does that make you feel a little? Actually, we're locked up, but at the same time we're still quite free here, so it's okay. So sometimes we manage to forget that feeling a little bit, let's say, but in fact on a daily basis, well it's the same, I see it, all my
friends, well they are outside, they are enjoying life, they go to the beach, they take trips, they are discovering the world especially me at my age I am still quite young. Well, I'm 27 years old, so we actually have this feeling of being a little bit crushed, of being a little bit held back, and that's what's complicated. Of course, the idea is to deprive them of their freedom, through detention already, but then it's not about punishing them on a daily basis, it's about offering them outlets, alternatives. That's it. In fact, if there isn't proper preparation for this outing, what condition will they be in when they come out? The journey is already
so complicated, well, we're here a little bit for that. Sport is a factor in desistance regardless of the circumstances; reintegration is possible. That's what it comes down to, to those values in my opinion. I've been doing it for 25 years and we can still see that sport provides balance for the prison, for the person. So, it's always rewarding regardless. How do you imagine life after my family comes first, then my professional career and sport, of course, magnificent. Well, in any case, I wish you a successful reintegration and lots of projects for the future. Thank you very much, that's very kind. Because we are in a prison, are you sometimes afraid for your safety here?
Honestly, not among women. We don't feel unsafe at all. They are even kind to us. So there is rather good contact with the prison population. Being a sports instructor means there's no formal address, we use the informal "tu" form, there's no uniform, no barrier, it's different. He also confides in us relatively often. So we allow ourselves to intervene, in particular, you see, in settling of scores, where there might be a fight starting in a paddock, we can arrive to calm things down immediately.
I think we're perceived differently. You told me there's a gym next door Ah yes, we are equipped, we are equipped at Panata. That's kind of your area of expertise, it seems to me. Incredible, it's not bad at all. Yes, it's not bad. Whoa ! Having been in several prisons, you know that this kind of sports equipment isn't found in every prison. No, no. So, the smaller houses, indeed, with slightly tighter budgets and especially space, will not necessarily have the same resources, but here, with the queen's wives, we are well-off. We see that all the equipment is fixed to the ground. What is it for?
Well, you see, it prevents the equipment from being used in case of demonstrations to block doors or against staff in the case of prisoners who have long sentences. So, what's the range? Yeah, it can range from 2 years to life imprisonment. Hence the maintenance, if that's where we see that there is respect for the equipment because there are long sentences that are there regularly and for them, well, they are a little bit like chairs. In any case, it is a reality that women's detention facilities are calmer and more respectful. I think you can see it as soon as you set foot in a detention center, you see the surroundings, there's no litter, there's greenery. No, it's atypical here. Yeah, it's still a
relatively well-maintained prison. Yeah, absolutely. Okay, let's go. 500m average, go girls, have courage, thank you very much, well done, thank you, well done. Those who watch the video and wish to join the prison administration, how do they do it? To become a prison officer, one must pass a civil service exam. We have two recruitment drives per year, each for 1000 staff. So we recruit 2000 supervisors every year. So these are still important recruitments. So to enter the competition, you need to have at least a high school diploma, and then you take the tests. It is an 8- month training course which takes place at the national school
of penitentiary administration in Agin and therefore alternates periods of classes at the school and periods of internship in a penitentiary establishment. And from what age is this? And so you can take the exam from the age of 17. Aurélie, pleased to meet you. The shape. Very, very good. Thank you for welcoming us to your office. What's your job called? So, I am a prison reintegration and probation officer. What are the missions? So it's about preventing the risk of recurrence. My first mission is to work on the sentence execution process with the detainees.
All right? Some of them are here for a long time. So we need to uh occupy this detention time to make it useful with training, diplomas. Hm. They can indeed go to the school campus to obtain diplomas. Do you sometimes play the role of confidante? She opens up a lot. It's actually part of the support process. They understand that the more they open up , the better we get to know them and the better we can support them both during their time of punishment and in preparing for their release. So they are indeed led to talk about their childhood, adolescence, adulthood, I understand. Do
many prisoners come to you and say, "I am innocent, let me out, it's possible"? Yes, absolutely. We start from the judgment, we don't redo the judgment. The primary objective is indeed for the person to understand how to stay away from the courts so that when they encounter a risky situation, they know how to do it and succeed. That's the main point. So here we are in one of the wings of the women's detention center. We will be able to proceed with opening the cells. How is a cell closed and how is it opened? So you have locks that we mainly secure in the evening and we always check the lock mechanism or the opening visually. So, this is an example of cells; for example, how many square meters are these cells?
Approximately 9 m². So here we have the bedding, we have the wardrobe for the personal belongings of the detained person, the table for eating, for working, the necessary washing facilities, the toilets. The showers will be in a separate room. How do you react if you have a prisoner having a panic attack in a cell? So, one of the main qualities we need to have as a supervisor is listening. So, we're going to try to reassure the detainee. We will also try to understand why she is acting this way. And if it's really complicated for her in terms of managing her emotions or her current state, we will redirect her to the medical service.
Is there teamwork among all the staff of the prison administration? It's extremely important in our line of work. We have a truly multidisciplinary profession. We are in contact with psychologists, with the reintegration and probation service. As soon as we have a problem, we need to be able to communicate it to the people concerned so that we can work and do what is necessary to ensure that the detained person is taken care of in the best possible way. Melissa, pleased to meet you. Are you doing well? Yes. You? Alright. Méia, what's your job here?
I'm sure I'm upstairs. Is it mealtime? Yes, it's lunchtime. It smells good. It smells really, really good. We're going to serve the prisoners' meal together. Yes, absolutely. We're going to go up to the 3rd floor of the prison. Awesome. Okay then, I'll follow you OK, let's go. Here we go. Come on. How many prisoners can be fed every day? In the detention center, there are 59. Hello. Good morning. I'm retrieving my trolley.
Yes. Good morning. So, you're entrusting the trolley to someone, is that right? Yes. That's my Oxy, she's the one who's going to serve the meal. What is a Noxy? She is an inmate who cleans her wing in the morning and she also serves meals at both lunchtime and in the evening. Ah, that's a job. Yes, absolutely. So what's on the menu then? So, for lunch today on the menu we have beetroot, garlic carrots and wheat pancakes. And it's the prisoners who do the cooking downstairs too.
Yes. All right. OK. It smells good, in any case. Good morning. A little more. No, it's fine. THANKS. It's good. Carrot, like a shower, you 're too kind. Enjoy your food. So. THANKS. Good day. How long does it take Agnè to do the distribution Oh, it depends. I'm going quite fast. We might say yeah, 20 minutes. And you? GOOD. THANKS. Is that okay with you? Yes, it's fine. THANKS. You in sports, that's what I was doing this morning. Next time, this morning It was nice that he was there. Do you go to the gym often?
Oh, well, every time you can go. So. Enjoy your food. That's nice. Share. Enjoy your walk. Thank you very much. Good day. Thank you. Enjoy your food. Great. Good morning. Hi. Are you having bread today? Yes. Yeah. Come on. Great. Look, some sleepers like that. Is that okay with you? It's good. How are you. It depends on the day. Yeah. But it's okay. What are your plans for this afternoon? Sport. Awesome. Well, good luck anyway.
Thank you very much. Enjoy your meal. Good morning. So, are you doing well? F for you. That's right, you'll say hello. Look who I'm with. I've been on social media for about 5 or 6 years. Awesome. So. Enjoy your food. Thank you. Good luck to you. That's kind. Have a great day. What does a typical day look like for you? We arrive in the morning at 6:45, there is a call with the boss, he gives us the program of the day and what happened during the night. Go back upstairs and we check that all the prisoners are present and alive. As soon as it's unlocked, as soon as everyone has validated their floors, the movements begin.
There are showers, workshops, medical facilities, sports facilities, and a walking area. Yeah. And then we have a cell search every morning. A cell is searched at random. One, there is a question. Yes. Who is it? No, it's. We can ask him what. Can you ask Tibo to sign this for an autograph? Okay, let's do that. Oh, thank you. My pleasure. You're welcome
Hop. And there you have it. Wait, I'll put it on. Okay, I'll slip it to you. Hop! Best wishes. Thank you, that's kind of you too. My pleasure. Hello Sarah. Good morning. Delighted. Thank you for having me. B, no problem. Were you familiar with the videos? Yeah, that's true. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I know. I used to watch a lot of it. That's kind. Thank you so much. So, this is your cell? Yeah, that's it.
How do you spend your days? Well, I work. OK. So, as a result, it's already keeping me quite busy. I'm also doing a degree in English at the same time, of course. So I'm still quite busy. OK. Sport. Awesome. Can you tell us a little bit about your cell? Well, it's not complicated, is it? It serves as a living room, lounge, kitchen, and bathroom. It does everything, everything is there. Were the first few days when you arrived here difficult? Yeah, the shock of prison is enormous. You don't realize it at first, but the hardest part is the first time you wake up and really realize that, well, it's not
a nightmare. That's the reality. How did you actually feel the first time you woke up? Um, I felt sad and helpless. It's really, really hard. I'm talking about it as if it's simple. Yeah, sure, sure. But, uh, well, it's something I'll remember for the rest of my life. This is the first time I've opened my eyes. I thought to myself, but actually no, this is real life, it's not a nightmare. What would you say to people who watch the video and say it's like a prison at Club Med?
No, prison isn't Club Med, you know. Finally, there is the fact that we are deprived of the essential thing: freedom. Actually, I think he doesn't measure. Exactly. Finally, we cannot measure all that we cannot do. We can't call whoever we want. Permits are required for everything. You can't write however you want. Everything is monitored, everything is read. We can't do what we want at the time we want. What do you miss the most here in prison? Actually, it's the family and the children. OK, it's very, very hard. How do you see things after detention?
I see it as a distant prospect, but well, I just hope to get back to a normal life, actually. To find my sons again, to find my family again, to find my friends again, to become normal again of course, in quotation marks. Thank you so much. Good luck with your hand. Thank you so much. Good luck with the prayer anyway, I'll allow myself a dedication, and of course I'll do the dedication in return. What's really touching is that you realize that there's no prisoner's face, it could be just any old person. I find it very touching to see these women. We don't know their life stories. We don't have the right to ask them how long they've been
there or what they've done. That doesn't change the fact that they are still human beings. We sincerely hope they serve their sentences and succeed in integrating into this society.
