“As a media group, we really have this role of deciphering society,” explains Isabelle Verrechia. “Our intention was to take on the role of a transformative actor. We all have an interest in ensuring that when they leave, these individuals find their place.” Indeed, within 5 years of leaving prison, about 60% reoffend. This shows that other solutions exist for more effective reintegration.
To achieve this, the M6 Group Foundation focuses on the issue of returning to employment. “In 15 years, we have come to the conviction that prison is not the appropriate penal response for all situations. There are other responses that remain penalties but have the advantage of allowing for better reintegration or insertion, because sometimes, even before entering prison, these individuals were struggling to integrate into society.”
Since the foundation's creation, around 120 associations have been supported for nearly 300 projects across France, including overseas territories, with 75% of prisons affected.
The M6 Group Foundation is both a distributive foundation, meaning it helps associations that submit projects or co-constructions, with 7.5 million euros distributed over 15 years, and an operator, with projects led and carried out by itself, including a writing competition that celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
The idea is also to bring civil society into prisons, to break down the perceptions that everyone has of prison, and to view incarcerated individuals in a different light.
Additionally, M6 Group hires prisoners each year. A special day is organized annually at the group's premises to connect the business world with the prison environment through workshops, allowing for mutual cultural understanding. “We built it as a tool, a first step to reach out to this justice audience, to open the doors of the company,” explains Isabelle Verrechia. “A tool designed for others to implement in their own settings, to also take ownership of it.”
