Philosophy and ethical commitments
In line with its commitment to corporate social responsibility, Sodexo has been engaged since 1987 in improving living conditions for inmates, especially in the areas of hygiene, health and balanced diets, and in providing training and jobs programs to help them reintegrate mainstream society.
Our philosophy
Improving the conditions of daily life of inmates, thanks to our experience and the know-how of the men and women who work for the Group.
Facilitating the return to work and life in society by paying careful attention to resettlement (individual assessments and training, help in finding accommodation, preparation for job interviews, participation in action taken by government authorities).
Ethical commitments
We provide our services only in democratic countries that do not apply the death penalty.
Multinational company and ambassadors for the democratic principles of our home country, Sodexo is committed to promoting democratic values, which include human rights and equal opportunity for all people, regardless of their origins or beliefs. In 2006, Sodexo provided services to correctional facilities in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Chile. We refuse to operate in countries that apply the death penalty. This is why we have never been active in correctional facilities management in, for example, the United States.
Our penal policy is to help inmates return to society.
All inmates are treated humanely, with dignity, respect and fairness. We study the needs of each individual and, working with the inmate, prepare a comprehensive program of activities that includes instruction, professional training, work programs, behavior counseling and medical follow-up.
Our services do not require our employees to carry weapons.
As a provider of food and other managed services, our employees are never trained to use weapons and we refuse to bid on contracts that would require them to carry weapons.
We carefully choose the kinds of establishment in which we will operate.
Centres for asylum-seekers, juveniles, and detainees held in custody while awaiting trial. We've decided we will manage these centres only if 2 conditions are met:
- The facility's vision must be consistent with our overall approach to correctional management. That means improving living conditions with the goal of facilitating inmate/detainee reintegration.
- The nature of the services to be provided must allow inmates/detainees to be treated humanely, with dignity, respect and fairness.
Revenue generated by inmates' work is donated.
Reintegration necessarily involves not only acquiring job skills, but also learning about work-related values, such as punctuality, respect for oneself and others, and the importance of caring for tools and equipment. Workshops set up in correctional facilities serve both an instructional and a social purpose.
Sodexo is not looking to make a profit on work performed by inmates. That's why any profit generated by facility workshops is donated to organizations whose mission or activities is inmate reintegration
Our priority
To create an environment for inmates that is based on strong values
- Respect
All the inmates under our responsibility are treated with dignity, humanity and respect. They have been punished by society, which, through the Courts, has deprived them of their freedom. - Work
Sodexo has always been convinced that resettlement in society is only possible via the world of work.
