Fondation M6: Words For Reintegration
Subject: Society
Country: France
Category: Project
For the fourth time, the broadcaster’s foundation has organized the writing contest “Au-delà des lignes” for French inmates. This year, around 600 women, men and minors will be participating. With this initiative, the foundation aims to counteract illiteracy among prisoners and facilitate their return to a normal life.
Strengthening self-confidence and increasing educational levels is the goal of the “Au-delà des lignes” contest that Fondation M6 has organized for French prisoners for each of the past four years. Around 600 women, men and minors will be participating in the new round of the contest. This year, they will deal with the subject “An encounter” in essays and reportages. During writing workshops offered until mid-April 2019 as preparation for the contest, they will receive advice from more than 60 teachers from the French Ministry of Education. First, a regional panel of judges and then a nationwide one will select the winners of the contest. They are composed of representatives of the prison authorities and Ministry of Education as well as writers, scriptwriters and journalists. Once again, M6 presenter Nathalie Renoux, who is also the patron of the French TV group’s foundation, will be one of the judges.
Since 2010, the reintegration of prisoners has been the focus of the activities of Fondation M6. Developing writing and reading competence as a way of preventing recidivism is of enormous importance because almost ten percent of the prison inmates in France are considered functional illiterates. With the contest, the foundation wants to free the prisoners from their inhibitions with writing, help them acquire new qualifications, and prevent social exclusion. Another goal is to enable them to participate in their fundamental right to an education. The award presentation will take place on June 25 during a ceremony in one of the participating prisons. The authors of the best contributions will be awarded in the categories “Beginner”, “Advanced” and “Professional”.
