Research Engineer Emeritus at Mines Saint-Étienne, passionate about science and pedagogy and an occasional writer, he has been working regularly in prison environments since 2007.
From his start as a technician at 23 to his responsibilities in the school’s scanning electron microscopy laboratory, as well as his materials courses for ICM and university students, Paul has always taken great pleasure in sharing his passion for science: “I have always been drawn to science, research, and pedagogy. Throughout my career, I have tried to popularize scientific subjects through exhibitions organized in schools, middle schools , media libraries, retirement homes, and even shopping centers.“
Repeated stints behind bars
To be exhaustive in his approach to reaching a wide audience, all that remained was to step through the doors… of a prison. A bold challenge that this Saint-Étienne native did not hesitate to take on to “discover an environment that is both unknown and daunting, and also to communicate with a population that is often marginalized.”
A phone call to the La Talaudière remand center in 2007, and then to the Loire Prison Integration and Probation Service (SPIP), allowed him to access this unknown territory.
“I was quite nervous the first time. The sound of locks clicking, shoes triggering the alarm in the airlock, and the little red button I was told to press in case of trouble during my sessions were enough to intimidate me . However, I didn’t back down and presented a slideshow on a large white wall. In front of me were about fifteen inmates, both men and women, all volunteers, who listened with varying degrees of attention. I lasted an hour and a half. “I will never forget that moment during the Fête de la Science,” he explains.
Paul has had dozens of similar experiences, some happy and some surprising, at the La Talaudière remand center, the Roanne detention center, and the Hôpital-le-Grand closed educational center.
These are all slices of life of which he has fond memories: “It is a personal annual challenge I set for myself. Each time, I come out feeling strengthened, hoping to have brought a little happiness and knowledge to an engaging audience, while keeping in mind that they have committed serious and reprehensible offenses.”
Thank you, Paul, and all the best for the future.
A book to bear witness
In “Science et barreaux“, Paul Jouffrey has compiled fifteen years of work in prisons into a 204-page self-published book full of anecdotes and reflections marked by sincerity and common sense. A poignant work written with the ink of passion, sharing, and humanity.
Publication date: 2023.
To order a copy: jouffrey@emse.fr
CV AT A GLANCE
- Born on August 20, 1947, in Saint-Étienne (42).
- Lives in Saint-Étienne.
- Family status: Married, one son and two granddaughters.
- Education: BTS in Electrical Engineering in 1969 and a University Doctorate in Materials in 1995 (Grenoble).
