Out of 100,000 people released from prison each year, 60,000 are re-convicted within 5 years.
And one of the least supported groups is those suffering from mental health disorders.
Shanah, a startup co-founded by Edmond Jean and Emmanuelle Matthis, and winner of the Impact Prize at the 2026 entrepreneurial grants, is a farm, a living space, a family-style boarding house that welcomes and supports individuals released from prison with mental health disorders towards stability.
The pilot project is being established in Vernéville, in the Metz region, and aims to be replicated horizontally to address a need that would require an annual budget of 200 million euros.
Your challenges in the coming months?
Our two main challenges are, firstly, to succeed in project calls and, within a reasonable timeframe, to obtain grants for the construction work.
The second is to expand our network involved with the project to create leverage for the construction work, crowdfunding, volunteers, and connections within public decision-making spheres.
What will 21st by CentraleSupélec bring you?
21st by CentraleSupélec, particularly the ETY program, has greatly helped us identify the pain points in society related to individuals released from prison, allowing us to discern where there was a real need, and it was later that this solution emerged.
21st by CentraleSupélec provides valuable access to mentors to help us progress on our challenges (customer discovery, business plan, etc.), and for any other expertise (legal, associative incubators), they will open up their networks to us.
#Impact, #Support, #Prison, #MentalHealth #Housing
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