Socio-professional insertion and adaptation of incarcerated young people: The case of the Detention and Correction House in Ougadougou (Burkina Faso)

This article examines the question of the socio-professional integration and adaptation of incarcerated young people in the Detention and Correction House in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) and explores the opportunities for change which the apprentice workshops for young people offer. Based on qualitative research using individual interviews, focus groups and observation, this study starts from the hypothesis that integration into these workshops enables the acquisition of material and skills resources which encourage adaptation on the part of the young people to their detention. The results of the study show, amongst other things, that the outlook of the young people is principally based on the expertise of the teachers/mentors. Integration into the local workshops creates opportunities for adaptation to detention through access to material and skills resources that can be exploited by the young people. Furthermore, social reintegration and monitoring the success of the young people creates challenges for the prison administration.