The Particular Professional Habitus of Teachers Employed by the “Protection Judiciaire de la Jeunesse”

Teachers working in the “Protection Judiciaire de la Jeunesse” (PJJ) implement everyday life activities as well as other activities such as sport, in institutions for juvenile offenders which have an educational purpose. This article analyses the education conceptions of those professionals in relation to the official discourse of the PJJ. Teachers’ views were collected using semi-structured interviews, and compared with official views. There was some agreement in relation to the education of juvenile offenders. These similarities indicate that a real professional ethos specific to juvenile justice has been built by the sole training school of the PJJ. Consequently, a professional habitus has been created.