The end of detention: the closer it is, the farther it seems to be. For Iliès, Jordan, Jean, Olivier, Hakim, the last weeks or months before freedom seem to distort time.
Engaged in a work-based reintegration programme, they work with their carers and integration advisers to draw up their future prospects. These prospects are as much a source of hope as they are of anxiety. They get their first taste of freedom in an enclosed space where everything is still dictated to them. Their days are divided between a workshop for reusing supermarket shopping bags and their cells. Sometimes they have access to cultural or sporting activities. But all they can think about is getting out.
Through their eyes and postures, they bear witness to the wait, which in reality has been going on since day one. They are also marked by the violence that is part of their daily lives. Their bodies and minds give us a glimpse of the scars left by the prison world, but also of the moments of joy and sharing that help us to endure.
For the duration of a portrait, these male prisoners take charge of their image and take possession of what they want to show. These photos were taken as part of their participation in an introduction to photography with the "APRES" prison integration workshop at the Meaux-Chauconin prison in 2022.
