“I understand the excitement but Fresnes is not that”, defends the director of the penitentiary center

These are the first words of the director of Fresnes prison since the start of the “Kohlanness” controversy at the end of July. A game inspired by Koh Lanta in which prisoners faced supervisors and residents of the town of Val-de-Marne. A karting event shocked, even the Minister of Justice, who launched an investigation. “It was a prevention activity, not reintegration”assures today Jimmy Delliste, the director. It was explained during a visit to Fresnes by Renaissance MP Caroline Abadie that franceinfo was able to follow, Wednesday August 24.

>> Fresnes prison: Eric Dupond-Moretti claims to have “never been informed” about the organization of “Kohlanness”

“I think we have to bring things back to their fair value, even if I understand the turmoil that it can generate at the level of opinion. But Fresnes, that’s not it”, defends Jimmy Delliste in front of the deputy Caroline Abadie, vice-president of the Commission of the laws. It resituates the karting race in the device. “This project was not only the participation of inmates. In karting, there are two inmates who competed, two agents and two members of the external association, for a ten-minute test.” But he recognizes today that “the choice of tests was unsuitable, you just have to see what public opinion thinks of it.”

Jimmy Delliste remains convinced that this day “made a lot of sense”. It insists on the notion of openness and the participation of young people in the city. “We are in prison, it is normal that it is the occupation of the incarcerated population that is highlighted, but it was a prevention activity, not reintegration, on the initiative of an association of young people from the district, who were present, he insists. The young people competed for their association, and the supervisors who were candidates competed for a staff association in memory of a deceased colleague of theirs.

The director of the prison recounts what the association behind “Kohlanness” told him to present his project: “They said to me: ‘we have seen these big walls since we were little in Fresnes, we are campaigning so that our young people can get out of it, we are offering you this morning’.” Jimmy Delliste studied the project and said yes, on several conditions. Starting with the fact that it costs nothing to the establishment. “The safety rules had to be respected, the staff had to agree to participate and we had to receive validation from the communication services.

“It also had to be charitable. It was not just a competition between the guards, the prisoners and the young people of the district, insists Jimmy Delliste. It was to compete for an association, otherwise we wouldn’t do it. For me, it was a prevention operation in which it seemed useful to involve the detainees. There was really a general satisfaction among all those who were present, beyond anything that can be said after the fact.“

“‘Kohlanness’ may have been an unfortunate leave of absence, but for me, in terms of the cohesion between the young people of the neighborhood, the incarcerated and the guards, this day is to be highlighted.”

Jimmy Delliste, director of Fresnes prison

at franceinfo

“Kohlanness” was also an opportunity for the prison guards of Fresnes to acquire “respect and authority” with inmates, according to prison director Jimmy Delliste. “It’s also a way of fighting against violence, he adds. Being a guard means reserving a lot of your time to maintain security, but it also means changing the officer’s position vis-à-vis detainees.” In addition to the go-kart race, football matches between inmates and guards are also sometimes organized for this purpose in the prison.