BB. The reason for this radical yet delightful choice of theme is the season in which the meetings take place. During summer, people dream of escaping. Prison is a heavy, serious topic that often involves mistreatment, cruelty, degradation and human difficulties of all kinds. For this second edition, we did not want to choose a topic with a leaden message. This approach does not prevent us from dealing with extremely serious matters, however: we have planned and designed this edition to cover all aspects of escape, from a young child running away from home to the silent escape that is suicide.
First off, in the original sense of the word: escaping from prison. Famous escapees will be invited to share their stories. There will also be comparative law: how do prison administrations and the justice system deal with real escapes? Some countries punish them harshly. Others, on the contrary, consider that there is a legitimate right to escape. If caught, escapees return to prison without their sentence being extended. This has not been the case in France since 2004.
Symbolic escapes will also be discussed: reading, television, cinema, sports, drugs. Inside, as well as outside, we can all relate.
There are escapes that lift us up. The same can be said for prisoners. If these escapes are symbolic, they are no less beneficial. For example, they sometimes prevent people from ending up in a situation of constant reoffending. The prisoner then claims to feel free before even having been released. Culture and training in prison needs to be cultivated with the utmost care.
Sometimes, during their sentence, prisoners discover an author, an artistic discipline, a way of being that allows them to “escape” their imprisonment and move forward. We are going to discuss the benefits of these escapes, in particular thanks to “factories”. The speakers will share how they go about passing on their knowledge and introducing prisoners to various disciplines. Christian Budex presents the philosophy factory and how to lead a philosophical discussion with people who are not necessarily ready for it, but who want to learn. This is a real opportunity for training, and it’s free. There is also the writing factory led by writer Fabienne Swiatly, and the integration factory.
The last type of escape evokes a form of freedom that everyone can relate to. A breakaway woman escapes from her gilded cage. Let us also agree to shift the subject by calling on a parliamentarian specialising in tax evasion, which is at the core of deep-rooted problems in our societies: the arrogant wealth of some in contrast with the growing impoverishment of many.
