Cycling-based prisoner rehab in France

[salsabike]

This is REALLY interesting--

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/06/10/world/AP-EU-Tour-de-Felons.html

[tulip]

This is great! I know that I (and probably a bunch of you) do alot of life's thinking while on the bike. I can't see a scenario where this is a bad thing.

[uforgot]

I worked (taught) at a facility one summer, which was essentially a prison for teens. I wanted to introduce cycling, but it turned out that they had had a bad experience once before. (This plan was when I was still in my "honeymoon, I'm going to befriend and save them" mode) They got a bunch of bikes for the kids, but had a real problem with breakaways. It's hard to find people to work there in the first place, and they didn't have a prayer of getting away, but it took a lot of employees away from where they should be, and there weren't enough (employees) to go around in the first place. Three or four kids break away, everyone else gets locked down because you would not believe how infectious even minor breaks in routine are. You just wouldn't believe how tough it is to keep your eyes on everyone, (no one can be out of sight) even if you just take them roller skating at an inside rink! I dreaded thunderstorms because those would put us right on the edge of keeping control.

I keep saying "you wouldn't believe", but I wouldn't have either until I worked there. I was trained how to safely restrain them when fights broke out, and I thought "hey, maybe I will have to do this!" Not only did I have to do it, but it was an everyday occurrence, boys, girls, whatever. Those kids were really hurting and you could never, ever get enough one on one, you were constantly monitoring, anticipating and trying to calm them. The most exhausting job I've ever had. Here is a good example: One of my homeroom girls, very bright, and very talkative disagreed with me on something. She went ballistic and called me a f******* b****. Finally I got her calm, I told them it was time to go to PE, and she started crying because she wanted to stay with me. (And she really did!)

Sorry for the ramble. Give me a glass or two of wine and I'll go into how I'd like to get hold of the parents of these kids.

I could go on and on, but I have digressed enough. Sure, it sounds good, but implementing it is another.

[tulip]

Well, it's in the middle of being implemented. It started on June 4th. 1300 miles in two weeks. With mileage like that, there's no extra energy or time for escaping.

Cycling is not well-respected in the US, so it doesn't surprise me that the kids you worked with saw the bikes as a potential means of escape as opposed to a real and valid athletic opportunity. Perhaps they would have had a better experience with a basketball or baseball league--sports that kids here understand and aspire to playing.

As the article says, "Prison officials decided on cycling ''because in the history of French sporting events, the Tour de France is something that finds itself very near the summit,'' Grosvalet said..."

Thanks for the article, Salsa.

[uforgot]

Cycling is not well-respected in the US, so it doesn't surprise me that the kids you worked with saw the bikes as a potential means of escape as opposed to a real and valid athletic opportunity. Perhaps they would have had a better experience with a basketball or baseball league--sports that kids here understand and aspire to playing.

Thanks for the article, Salsa.

True enough about respecting their athletic opportunities. They had a beautiful outdoor pool and a stable full of horses, and only a handful were interested, and most grew belligerent when forced to participate. (There were trained people for these activities and they were given no choice. They swam, or at least got in the shallow end, and rode horses) I even tried a softball game, and only two or three would play. (I had girls). When the boys played basketball, it usually ended in restraints. yeesh.

If there had been enough employees, the cooperating handful would certainly have gone along with cycling and loved it. Maybe that's the key?

Sorry to ramble. Guess this article was a trigger, hurtling me back to a time and place I wanted to forget!

[Biciclista]

I really enjoyed the article too. Uforgot, sounds like you lost your innocence in that facility.