Wake up Café

As of December 1, 2024, there were 80,792 people incarcerated in French prisons, for 62,404 operational places.*

Each year, 100,000 people are released from prison in France, 80% of them without any support, leading to a high recidivism rate: 59% are reconvicted within five years of release and 33% within the first year. Without multidimensional support, the risk of reoffending is significant.

Founded in 2014, Wake up Café (WKF) supports incarcerated individuals and those leaving prison who are motivated to achieve sustainable reintegration without reoffending. The association offers programs aimed at full rehabilitation, tailored individual and group support both inside and outside prison, and a mutual aid community—a key pillar in combating recidivism and isolation. Wake up Café celebrated 10 years of impact in 2024 and operates in 10 cities across France.

The Société Générale Corporate Foundation supports the intensive and individualized program for social and professional reintegration. This program includes workshops focused on building career plans and accessing employment, as well as specific workshops on strengthening soft skills and rebuilding self-confidence.

This intensive and personalized pathway, which has existed since 2014, was launched in Marseille in 2022 and is now being deployed across all the association’s sites, aiming to reach around 400 young people under 30 by 2025.