“It made me feel like a liberation” – Liberation

At the Poitiers-Vivonne penitentiary centre, sports activities have been organized on a mixed basis for two years. In the gymnasium, the relationships between men and women are scrutinized to better prepare for the outing.

Kessy leans over, the steering wheel clutched in her left hand. She stretches her shoulders before letting go of her racquet. Facing her, another inmate, Kint (a nickname) responds energetically. From one side to the other, the ruffles fuse. Kint loses the point. “It’s your racket, is it holey?” carries Kessy. This November morning, in the gymnasium of the Poitiers-Vivonne penitentiary center (Vienne), four badminton nets were installed. Ten detainees from the detention center, seven men and three women, share the grounds. “I lost, then I won, but mostly I laughed, says Kint, whose white T-shirt brings out the traces of the effort. With guys, the other is always an adversary. There’s this testosterone thing and wanting to show off, “I’m the strongest!” With girls, I have less pressure. It’s calm, it breaks down barriers.”

Of the 742 people imprisoned in Poitiers-Vivonne, 35 are women. Since 2020, badminton, table tennis and boxing sessions, among others, have been open to mixed practice. They are punctual, like today’s, or organized in sessions of several days or weeks. “Before, women only had access to the gym and a limited number of physical activities such as yoga or bodybuilding, details Sonia, the sports instructor behind the project. They couldn’t go to the stadium, nor practice outside, because we weren’t able to