Mettray Penal Colony, Penal colony in Mettray, France.
The Mettray complex contained residential pavilions surrounding a central square with a chapel, designed for the reform of young male offenders.
Founded in 1839 by Frédéric-Auguste Demetz and Louis Hermann de Bretignières, architect Guillaume-Abel Blouet incorporated American prison design principles into the structure.
The institution operated under the principle of reforming youth through agricultural work, education, and structured living arrangements in groups of forty boys.
Each residential pavilion included separate spaces for working, studying, and sleeping, with inmates managing their own living areas and daily routines.
The facility included a separate section called Maison Paternelle specifically designated for children from wealthy families requiring behavioral correction.
Location: Mettray
Inception: 1839
Founders: Louis Hermann de Bretignières de Courteilles, Frédéric-Auguste Demetz
Architects: Guillaume-Abel Blouet
GPS coordinates: 47.44940,0.65880
Latest update: May 23, 2025 14:21
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