The “KohLantess” competition, organized at the Fresnes prison at the end of July and the dissemination of the images of which is causing controversy, is “an exceptional event” which does not have “not cost a penny to our taxes, unlike the 110 euros a day that each prisoner costs us“, insisted on recalling this Sunday August 21 on franceinfo Dominique Simonnot, general controller of places of deprivation of liberty. “Reintegration goes through everything that can do good to people locked up 22 hours a day in a cell“, she also claimed.
franceinfo: Did the images of “KohLantess” shock you?
Dominique Simonnot: No way. Not only did they not shock me, but I found them rather good-natured. For once inmates and guards can laugh together and can also act for a good cause, because it was about donating money to three charities that take care of children, I don’t see where is evil. It’s a day in the life of people crammed three to a cell 22 hours a day.
“I don’t call it a summer camp, but an exceptional event. Besides, it didn’t cost our taxes a penny, unlike the 110 euros a day that each prisoner costs us, since the production has everything paid”.
Dominique Simonnot, general controller of places of deprivation of liberty.at franceinfo
So you don’t understand the existence of this controversy?
I understand that it can be shocking when one is in bad faith. People who know the prison know that activities, such as horseback riding and mountain biking, are plentiful there. What bothers is that the images are published. It’s always the same in our country: when things are made public, it becomes terrible.
The Minister of Justice Éric Dupond-Moretti believes that “the fight against recidivism goes through reintegration but certainly not through karting”. What do you think ?
In any case, I think that reintegration does not involve being crammed three to a cell like in Fresnes, covered in bedbugs and cockroaches that you breathe in when you sleep on the floor on the mattresses on the floor, with rats in the yard.
“The real scandal is prison overcrowding and suicides in prison. Reintegration therefore involves anything that can do good for people locked up 22 hours a day in cells”.
Dominique Simonnot, general controller of places of deprivation of libertyat franceinfo
And this kind of demonstration avoids, in my opinion, a lot of violence between prisoners and guards, but also between prisoners.
The delegate of the Force Ouvrière union at Fresnes prison asked on franceinfo for the resignation of the director of the. What do you think ?
If I could, I would congratulate him. If he organized this event, it was because he thought he could do it. And I would add that there were authorizations at the highest level, because an event like this cannot be improvised.
What consequences can the dissemination of these images have in your opinion?
I’m afraid that it will above all have a very negative action, by limiting outings, matches and competitions in prison, which nevertheless make it possible to reconcile everyone a little. Because the conditions of detention are horrible for the detainees, and the working conditions terrible for the guards.