Karting at Fresnes prison: Eric Dupond-Moretti will issue a circular governing reintegration projects – Le Monde

French Minister of Justice Eric Dupond-Moretti visits the rehabilitation site of the former center for minors in the Fleury-Mérogis prison, south of Paris, on August 23, 2022. EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP The Ministry of Justice justice denies having knowledge of the organization of a “Kohlanness”, inspired by the game show “Koh Lanta”, including a karting race in the prison of Fresnes. It was an “initiative of the director of the prison with the organizer”, affirmed the minister Eric Dupond-Moretti Tuesday August 23 in front of the press, during a visit of the prison of Fleury-Mérogis (Essonne). “If I had known that a karting competition was organized, I would have put a very clear veto (…). I was never informed,” he said. “I’m going to tell you something very simple: for me, prison is punishment and rehabilitation. In these images, there is neither sanction nor reintegration. Prison should have a deterrent effect,” he added. In the process, he announced on Twitter that he wanted to issue a circular to “clearly set the conditions necessary for carrying out reintegration projects in prison” which will ultimately be “subject to the express validation of the management of the prison administration. “Following the investigation report, I will take a circular to clearly set the conditions necessary for… https://t.co/EF5NsUMGgH— E_DupondM (@Eric Dupond-Moretti) Éric Dupond-Moretti spoke after the publication of an administrative investigation report on the controversial organization of play activities in a courtyard of the Fresnes prison (Val-de-Marne). The event dubbed “Kohlanness” took place on July 27 and included karting, mime or tug of war events over a swimming pool. The director of the establishment – which had 1,918 detainees for 1,336 places on July 1 -, Jimmy Delliste, welcomed on Twitter a “moment of fraternal commitment for the benefit of three associations”, in thanking the organizers. Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers Controversy after a karting race at Fresnes prison: the images had been validated by the Ministry of Justice The administrative investigation report made public on Tuesday evening A video of these competitions, broadcast on Friday on YouTube and since removed, provoked outrage from right and far-right figures and led to the launch of an administrative investigation by the Department of Justice. “What the ministry knew was that there was a sports competition in which there was never any question of karting”, continued the Keeper of the Seals, during a visit to the construction site of the former – center for minors at Fleury-Mérogis prison (Essonne), which will accommodate 400 new adult prisoners by 2023. “The minister does not know everything that is going on in detail, it is not his work, the directors have a personal initiative”, insisted Eric Dupond-Moretti. According to the report made public on Tuesday evening, a copy of which Agence France-Presse was able to consult, the choice of activities was managed “in direct connection between the organizing association and the prison establishment” and “neither the management of the prison administration, nor the cabinet of the Keeper of the Seals had knowledge of the precise modalities of the “Kohlanness” activity”. “If authorization in principle from the Chancellery has been given with regard to this action, it is without knowing the precise details, in particular with regard to the karting event”, adds the report. However, “the first desire of the director of Fresnes, who admits having made an error of assessment, was to carry out a charitable operation based on the effort and the values ​​of sport”, underlines the summary of the administrative investigation, which recalls that “socio-cultural and sporting activities are essential in prison”. Many sporting or cultural events are regularly organized in prison. In Fresnes, one of the latest was a concert with the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra in which prisoners took part, in addition to football and basketball tournaments and plays. Read also Article reserved for our subscribers The government wants to further develop integration through economic activity in detention Le Monde with AFP