ABSTRACT
In France, one finds extremely powerful state probation services, which are part of the prison services, work both in the community and in prisons, and are jealous of their professional territory. On the other hand, prisoner resettlement is essentially supported by community third sector agencies, territorial community agencies (municipalities) or other state agencies (health, employment), along with prisoners themselves with the help of their families and attorneys. Managerialism and executive ‘prisonbation’ combined with extreme lack of resources contribute to state agencies having withdrawn from re-entry and reinsertion support. This contrasts with the letter of the law, which still focuses, inter alia, but mainly, on reinsertion and resocialization. As a result, and as Bottoms previously prognosticated for England and Wales (1977, 1980), run of the mill prisoners are left with fast-track and unsupportive empty-shell measures, and are barely supervised; whereas the dangerous are treated more harshly, but are at the same time more supported in their re-entry process. Amidst this bleak environment is a more positive procedural processing of release applications and former prisoners’ legal supervision, where consent, choice and autonomy are respected; however, these procedures are constantly under threat, as they contrast with the executive-led managerial approach. Potentially positive is also an evidence-based practices ‘revolution’ taking place in the probation services, although it is currently implemented in a rather superficial ‘tool box’ and industrial fashion.
