eloquence classes to facilitate the reintegration of prisoners

Two law students have a common passion: public speaking competitions. Usually, they clash with words in an amphitheater or in a prestigious place. But that Saturday morning, they went to Nanterre prison (Hauts-de-Seine). Every Saturday, in the prison library, they give eloquence lessons to inmates through their association “À Travers les Murs”. That day, they gave a lesson to five inmates. The first exercise of the day is a press conference. It’s about facing an audience and finding yourself under the fire of questions, of contradiction, as prisoners sometimes are when faced with a judge.

Positive changes in prisoner behavior

It has now been three years since Ilan Volson-Derabours and Lucas Galand founded their association. They came up with the idea after giving eloquence classes at university. For three years, the management of Nanterre prison has also noted positive changes in the behavior of inmates. A former inmate benefited from the association’s courses, which gave him confidence. As soon as he was released from prison, he found a job applying what he had learned.