From the nation that brought us the Velib bicycle rental system comes another revolutionary idea: Remove convicts from prison and take them on a bicycle tour.
Beginning next month, 196 French prison inmates will begin a 1,400-mile bike tour of France. They'll be accompanied by 124 guards.
Reuters news agency reports that the peloton will start in Lille on June 4 and stop in 17 towns. Although each host town is home to a prison, the inmates will be sleeping in hotels. They'll conclude the trip in Paris.
A French prison official explained the trip:
“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.”
It's an interesting idea. Many people say they their lives are changed by a bicycle tour. It might work for prisoners as well.
France's last experiment in prisoner rehabilitation was made into a top box office movie. It was entitled “Papillon.”
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