It was undoubtedly one of the most emotionally strong visits offered in Burgundy for these heritage days. The Dijon remand center was open to the public for a special discovery of the interior and exterior architecture of an active penitentiary establishment.
It’s a visit different from the other monuments that we were able to discover during this very special weekend. “We are going to show you an empty cell which is representative of the other cells in the establishment. You can notice that it’s very calm, unlike what we see in films and series.”explained Pauline Rossignol, the head of the establishment, to the public.
A cell presented to the public. • © Rodolphe Augier – France Télévisions
During these heritage days, the Dijon remand center introduced its special environment to visitors. “Seeing it in real life changes our view of the detainees and the people who watch over them.” “I was surprised by the size of the prison, it’s bright. There is the human side of the prisoners which is taken into account.We have always been around this prison, it is interesting to see as a citizen what is happening and the people who work there on a daily basis. The silence marked me and the calm that reigns there, the cleanliness of the place too“, they react.
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Obviously, we did not enter a remand center like a mill or a Renaissance castle, because the controls are strict. Visitors were subject to the same regulatory controls as people who usually enter a penitentiary establishment. ‘It looks like what you might do in an airport. And then we prepared this sequence, everyone mobilized with pleasure to make this somewhat unique moment possible.”explains Guillaume Piney, interregional director of prison services in Dijon.
Not all areas are accessible. • © Rodolphe Augier – France Télévisions
This is the only constraint to access an unprecedented visit, neither here nor elsewhere, to a site dating from 1850. “CIt’s very moving to open this beautiful establishment, with a particularly rich history, and to participate in the promotion of the profession. We have nothing to hide. We are proud to carry out our missions which are essential in our society”, Pauline Rossignol, the head of the establishment.
We manage to show the general public what makes our daily missions reality. Showing to what extent what we can sometimes read and hear about prison is a little removed from our own daily realities.
Pauline Rossignol
Head of establishment
Only part of the prison was open. “Obviously there are sectors that we don’t show for security reasons. It’s a place of life, we show you the remand center over a given period of time as it is in real life. We don’t have to do it, if we had anything to hide we wouldn’t make visits”insists Pauline Rossignol.
Like everywhere else, the Dijon remand center must deal with prison overcrowding. “When we talk about occupancy rates, it is mainly by neighborhood. We are at 104% in the women’s section, and 170% in the men’s section, sometimes with the need to place an additional mattress in the cell. We have done considerable work in conjunction with judicial authorities on regulating the occupancy rate. We begin our sentence in prison and continue it outside with special conditions which also makes it possible to regulate this occupancy rate.”she explains.
A visit that will inevitably have left its mark. Perhaps even more meaningful than coming out of a mill or a Renaissance castle.
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