Le sport carcéral chez les « courtes peines »

Une approche comparative franco-canadienne en prisons pour femmes

Abstract

The franco canadian comparative approach of sport in prison is used in this study as a privileged tool of analysis and questioning of targeted penal systems and their policies of reintegration. In fact, even if sport is in theory supposed to be used by the institution as a means of reintegration, in practice it may also serve much less ambitious functions, dependently of its context. By focusing on the particular context of establishments for women serving short sentences in France and in Quebec, we can analyze this device, its functions and its social uses. For example, this study frame allows us to note that in several speeches, sport is recognized as a necessary element for the different members of the institution, either agents or prisoners. However, this analysis reports the maladjustment of sport to the female population in jail, and the consequent lack of interest from them towards sport which seems to be actually dropped out.