a year 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 a section Competitive selection Out of competition Fipatel a category Aspects of French Production Aspects of French International Coproductions Tribute

McRae, Georgia--pop. 2,500--is shopping for convicts. This small southern town is home to an empty 1,500-bed prison. A prison built "on spec" by the Corrections Company of America, the private prison giant. In the old days, the region lived on agriculture and textiles. But in 20 years, more than half the county's farms have gone bankrupt. And for years, the factories have all moved abroad. Prisons provide employment for hundreds of unemployed farmers and workers. Not to mention that convicts represent free manpower for the cities. With two million Americans behind bars and $40b spent by the State each year on incarceration, prisons have become a major stake in local economies. Today, in the United States, cities and entire regions depend economically on the penitentiary system, a situation that has serious consequences for penal policies of the country.

France - 2002 - 50 mn - Betacam SP - Colour and B&W

Director Christiane Badgley Camera Pierre Stoeber Sound Darry Mittchell Editing Véronique Sanson

Production Coup d'Œil, 72 rue Claude Bernard, 75005 Paris, France Tél : +33 (0)1 4337 1091 Fax : +33 (0)1 4331 0185 E-mail : coup-d-oeil@wanadoo.fr Co-Production ARTE France

Sales Coup d'Œil, 72 rue Claude Bernard, 75005 Paris, France Tél : +33 (0)1 4337 1091 Fax : +33 (0)1 4331 0185 E-mail : coup-d-oeil@wanadoo.fr