Jail Workshop

MY WORK WITH PRISONERS

Since 2016 I work with prisoners, at the Villepinte prison, and with former repeat offenders with significant addiction problems.

My job is to teach inmates how a pack of dogs works by showing videos that show the interactions within a pack. I rely on the example of a pack to explain that a group, in order to be viable, needs rules. For the balance of a pack, the consistency of the rules which govern the relations between individuals is fundamental. I bring dogs with me and teach inmates to be obeyed. I show them that to impose themselves on a dog, violence and brutality are not necessary. I teach them to banish abrupt gestures and harsh, bossy voices. Very quickly the prisoners realize that they can impose themselves not through violence, but through consistency, patience and perseverance.

French article