From Prison to Revolt

From Prison to Revolt is a 1973 book by Serge Livrozet, with a preface by Michel Foucault who characterizes it as "a philosophy of the people".

Arrested and tried, Livrozet was convicted of a crime against property. Through this partly autobiographical text, he highlights the social causes of delinquency, analyzing the prison from political, economic, and ideological points of view as an ex-prisoner. It has since been regularly republished.

Background

Convicted on several occasions for various burglaries, Serge Livrozet was released from prison in 1972.

Partly writing in prison,^[1] he published his first book De la prison à la révolte début 1973.

Michel Foucault wrote the preface.^[2] The two men were among the founders of the Prisoners' Action Committee.^[3]

The preface presents the book as an "individual and strong expression of a certain popular experience and thought regarding the law and illegality. A philosophy of the people".^[4]

According to the former French police officer, Georges Moréas, this "first book, written in large part behind bars [...] shows the life circumstances, the series of events, that lead many individuals behind bars. In other words, there is not born criminal."^[1]

Legacy

In February 2000, invited to a literary program for a new edition of his first book, Serge Livrozet reiterated his point: "Prison is the receptacle, the terminal of our unjust society. A place for the poor, where the excluded are excluded [...] I have always said that theft has allowed me to be at this table today. I was destined to suffer and die, perhaps win the lottery if I let myself be trapped. I am not proud, but I do not regret anything."^[5]

Editions

1973, 1975, 1986, Mercure de France.
1999, L'Esprit frappeur
2000, L'Esprit frappeur

Bibliography

Bibliothèque nationale de France : De la prison à la révolte : essai-témoignage par Serge Livrozet; préface de Michel Foucault.^[6]
Nouveau millénaire, défis libertaires : de la prison à la révolte, analyse sur 1libertaire.free.fr.^[2]
"FROM PRISON TO REVOLT | Office of Justice Programs". www.ojp.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-04.
Christophe Soulié, Années 70 : contestation de la prison : l'information est une arme, Raison présente, n°130, 2e trimestre 1999, Prison et droits de l'homme, pp. 21–38.

References

^ ^a ^b Georges Moréas (4 December 2022). "Le libertaire s'est tu !". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 6 December 2022..
^ ^a ^b "Préface de Michel Foucault De la prison à la révolte S Livrozet". 1libertaire.free.fr. Retrieved 2022-12-04..
^ Soulié, Christophe (1999). "Années 70 : contestation de la prison : l'information est une arme". Raison présente. 130 (1): 21–38. doi:10.3406/raipr.1999.3537. Retrieved 2022-12-06..
^ "LIVROZET Serge, Raymond [Dictionnaire des anarchistes]". Le Maitron (in French). Retrieved 2018-06-01.
^ Philippe Lançon, Après coup. Les taulards., Libération, 15 février 2000 [1].
^ BnF 35374525

[X-1] Georges Moréas (4 December 2022). "Le libertaire s'est tu !". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 6 December 2022..

[X1-2] "Préface de Michel Foucault De la prison à la révolte S Livrozet". 1libertaire.free.fr. Retrieved 2022-12-04..

[3] Soulié, Christophe (1999). "Années 70 : contestation de la prison : l'information est une arme". Raison présente. 130 (1): 21–38. doi:10.3406/raipr.1999.3537. Retrieved 2022-12-06..

[:1-4] "LIVROZET Serge, Raymond [Dictionnaire des anarchistes]". Le Maitron (in French). Retrieved 2018-06-01.

[Libe3-5] Philippe Lançon, Après coup. Les taulards., Libération, 15 février 2000 [1].

[6] BnF 35374525

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