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In September 2005, author Chrystine Brouillet (right) was a guest lecturer in Sylvie Frigon’s (left) course entitled “Gender, Imprisonment and Criminology,” which is part of the master’s in criminology program. |
In her tenth ‘whodunit’ novel (Rouge secret, 2005), Quebec writer Chrystine Brouillet depicts life inside a female penitentiary. Set in Quebec between 1960 and 1970, the book follows the life of Irène, a young woman who discovers a passion for painting while stuck inside Tanguay prison.
To ensure her depiction of female prison life was realistic, Chrystine Brouillet sought the expertise of Sylvie Frigon, chair of the Department of Criminology and author of several works on woman, crime and criminal justice. They met at the Salon du livre de Montréal, where both authors were presenting a book.
“The novels of Chrystine Brouillet help demystify difficult issues such as pedophilia, rape and murder without reverting to textbooks. Authors cast a different light on the crime world. Literature gives context to difficult issues by creating images, sounds and words that reach a larger audience,” explains Frigon.
“The novel does not block out emotion,” says Chrystine Brouillet. “The novel has the power to scramble emotions and use them to explore a place like a female penitentiary.”
Although an author explores the circumstances and mental processes that lead someone to a life of crime, there is also the technical aspect of investigations and the prison environment. Thorough research is essential before calling upon experts such as Frigon. This process ensures fiction and reality are respected. “All elements must be believable; the intrigue, the unfolding of the story and the context of the novel. Readers can only get caught up in the intrigue of the story if they believe it.”
This novel places us in the world of incarceration and may help us understand what women in prisons are thinking,” supports Sylvie Frigon. “The story also gives a voice to the character Irène, who shares her life and perhaps sheds light on many others in her situation.”
