FRESNES. A competition inspired by “Koh lanta” was organized at Fresnes prison, pitting inmates against guards in fun contests. The event is controversial but was known to the Ministry of Justice. All of the information.
[Mis à jour le 22 août 2022 à 10h36] Inmates of Fresnes prison doing karting and participating in other fun events. It was the images of “Kohlanness” that created controversy after their broadcast on Friday August 19. The event, a competition inspired by the TF1 show “Koh lanta”, consisted of the confrontation of three teams, including one made up of prisoners, during various events: karting, tug of war or general culture quizzes . The Kohlanness concept already seen in the suburbs aims, according to the organizers, to recreate the link between young people and the authorities. In Fresnes, the producers of the show wanted to see further and act for the “integration of prisoners”. An explanation that does not pass with politicians, in particular on the right and the far right.
The government also took up the subject and the Keeper of the Seals announced, on Saturday August 20, the opening of an investigation into the organization of the event at Fresnes prison. Eric Dupond-Moretti was not convinced by the merits of Kohlanness and judged that “the fight against recidivism goes through reintegration but certainly not through karting!” A legitimate reaction for the Minister of Justice but which questions since his cabinet was informed of the holding of the event and the ministerial communication team was present during the filming, on July 27. The ministry clarified to AFP that the Keeper of the Seals has “always been in favor of detainees being offered sports and cultural activities, but in the project as it had been presented, the activities as revealed in this video, in particular that of karting”. The administrative investigation must shed light on what the ministry knew of the event.
The video of the “Kohlanness” at Fresnes prison
What is the “Kohlanness” of Fresnes prison?
“Kohlanness” is a well-known concept at the origin of several events in the Parisian suburbs: competitions and activities between young people from housing estates and police officers. But this is the first time that Djibril Dramé and Enzo Angelosanto, organizer and producer of the events, have imported their program into a prison establishment. Both explain that the relief of the prisoners’ daily lives and the work for the reintegration of prisoners motivated the organization of Kohlanness in Fresnes. “All the people who are there are there for a good reason and the path to reintegration is through prison work, but we have a duty: not to put them aside and not to forget that they are humans like you” , recalls the host in the introduction of the show published on Youtube. Enzo Angelosanto exposed another objective of their show on BFM TV : “The goal is to bring young people to prison to make them aware of what incarceration is”.
Three teams competed during the Kohlanness at Fresnes prison: one made up of inmates imprisoned for “short sentences” as specified in the video, another bringing together prison officers and a third team representing young people from the suburbs. All competed in a series of four events including a karting, passage of the show which concentrates the critics. They each represent a charity.
Who was aware of Kohlanness at Fresnes prison?
“Everyone was aware” of the filming of an episode of Kohlanness at Fresnes prison assured the producer of the show, Enzo Angelosanto on BFM TV. The young man explained that the organization of the event was possible thanks to agreements reached with the Ministry of Justice, responsible for prison administrations. “We had agreements, we were ready to do it, at no time did we take anyone by surprise, everyone was aware of our action, we had validations, we signed an agreement between our parties and the ‘prison administration,’ added the producer.
The Ministry of Justice does not deny having been aware of the shooting but explains that the images of the video do not correspond with what had been agreed upon beforehand. However, the ministerial cabinet was able to control the images shot since a communication team was present at Fresnes prison on July 27 to attend the broadcast, accompany the journalists and validate the images before they are broadcast. Which implies that the videos of the karting are not a surprise for the ministry. Especially since according to Figaro the content of the video has been checked by the Communication Department of the Ministry of Justice, causing a delay in the broadcast of the program on Youtube.
And concerning the Keeper of the Seals? Eric Dupond-Moretti was not personally aware of the organization of the Kohlanness according to the ministry. The administrative investigation ordered by the Minister of Justice must allow “to know exactly the ins and outs of what happened” and what was known to government actors.