After the 2012 terrorist attacks in France, prisons were increasingly framed
as breeding grounds for radicalization. In 2015, facing a rise in terrorismrelated
detentions, the French National Prison Service (DAP) launched a
prevention strategy, introducing specialized units, risk assessment grids, and
the recruitment of psychologists and educators within the Mission for the
Prevention of Violent Radicalization (MCVR). Deployed alongside traditional
prison staff, these professionals entered the field with vague mandates and
minimal preparation, raising questions about their legitimacy. This article
examines the inherent tensions surrounding their deployment, drawing on the
idea that public policies materialize through the actions of frontline
actors (Dubois, 2012). It analyses how these professionals, caught
between conflicting institutional expectations (security vs. support), adapt their
practices and negotiate their roles in an environment marked by urgency and
ambiguity.