14 DAY TRIAL // It would appear that French prison guards and relevant authorities have no sense of their own preservation, or of that of the civilian population. This was demonstrated only recently, when they announced plans to retrofit 200 prisoners with bicycles, and run a Tour de France of their own, outside the famous annual competition. The announcement, which was made on Monday, also stated that a large number of guards, on bicycles as well, would trace the nearly 200 inmates around the country, ensuring that none escaped in a corn field, farm, river, or any other place.
However, the plan for the competition holds that all the 196 prisoners that will attend the first penal version of the famous circuit will have to pedal in a tight pack, and that breakaway sprints will not be permitted. That is to say, whoever attempted that might get a bullet somewhere in their body, the police implied, if all other methods of stopping the fugitives failed. Despite the best organizational efforts, critics say, chances of something going horribly amiss are fairly high. One of the prisoners could get a hold of a civilian, and hold them as hostages, until their demands are met, and the list can go on for miles.
About 124 guards and a couple of prison sports instructors were assigned to this competition, the authorities announced. It stand to reason that they will be heavily armed, and ready to take on any situation. Additionally, the officials said, there would be no ranking among prisoners, as the competition in itself was meant to be a form of fostering values such as teamwork and honest effort. “It's a kind of escape for us, a chance to break away from the daily reality of prison. If we behave well, we might be able to get released earlier, on probation,” a 48-year-old inmate named Daniel told reporters.
“This project aims to help these men reintegrate into society by fostering values like effort, teamwork and self-esteem. We want to show them that with some training, you can achieve your goals and start a new life,” prison authority Sylvie Marion said at the press conference. According to the schedule, the tour will take the prisoners and their guards on a 2,300 kilometer (1,400 mile)-long trek around the country, beginning in Lille, on June 4th. There will be 17 stops along the way, all in cities that have prisons. However, the organizers explained that the inmates would sleep at hotels, rather than their usual “accomodations,” Reuters informs.