Prison abolition movement in France

Abstract

Since the 1970s, prisoners have regularly been engaged in large-scale revolts in France. Although there is not an exhausting research on it yet, the history of the French penal abolitionist movement is rich. It has included prisoners and ex-prisoners but also prisoners’ relatives, law professionals, intellectuals (the most famous being Michel Foucault), and activists. Despite its heterogeneity (especially considering its repertoires of action and political goals), the penal abolition movement in France is strongly characterized by its focus on prison (rather than on the penal system), its class analysis (over race and gender, for example), and its close links to anarchist movements. The chapter aims at encompassing the prison abolition movement in France since the 1970s. It draws upon the analysis of data (public and private archives and interviews) gathered for previous research by the two authors. It elaborates on (1) the articulation among the prison abolition movement, prisoners’ revolts, and prison reforms; (2) the critical analysis of the prison system that has fueled the prison abolition movement; and (3) the strategic and organizational options debated within the prison abolition movement.