The attendance sheet circulated around the small, neon-lit classroom. In turn, the 11 students present wrote down their names. Next to them were numbers. It took a few seconds for the visitor to understand: It was a prisoner identification number. It was 2 pm on a Monday in February, and the psychology course for the university diploma in literature, humanities and social sciences had just begun at La Santé prison, in the heart of Paris' 14^th arrondissement.

This program is unique: The diploma, taught by professors from Université Paris Cité, is the only higher education qualification in France with classes conducted face-to-face in prison. All others are taught remotely. La Santé prison benefits from this program, as does that of Fresnes, south of Paris. "It's a diploma that requires a major investment on the part of the students," said Thibault Collin, a psychology teacher. They must attend five half-days of classes a week, from October to May, with mid-term exams at the end of each semester.

The whiteboard displayed an odd array of words, including "psyche," "brain function," "Freud," "wars," "accidents" and "dream." Collin explained to a captive audience the origins of psychoanalysis and neuroscience before posing a little riddle. "What's the only soul you can hold in your hand?" the teacher asked. "A charitable soul?" guessed an inmate. "A soulmate?" asked another. "It's a part of a cello," decided a third.

For a few moments, one might almost forget where they were. Almost. The bars on the windows, the sight of the wall stretching with an endless fence and the jangling of keys hanging from the guards' belts in the background quickly brings one back to reality. "I never forget," said Idrissa, standing in front of his large grid notebook filled with neat handwriting. "Every time I turn my head, I see the bars, and after class, I go back to my cell. But it clearly helps to endure detention," explained the 21-year-old who arrived at La Santé in April 2023. "I didn't ask to take part in the program. I was in denial; I thought I'd be out soon."

Why were they there? Theft, drug trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault? The reason for their incarceration is never mentioned. It's forbidden to ask them about it. At La Santé, some inmates are suspects awaiting trial, sometimes for years. Others have already been convicted and are serving a sentence (or remaining sentence), theoretically less than two years. They are 21 to 35 years old, come from different backgrounds and have varying levels of education, from vocational high school degrees to master's degrees. However, for all of them, being part of this program is a way of keeping their heads above water.

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