On a recent afternoon near Orléans, in the Loire Valley, members of the jury of France’s newest literary prize trickled out of their prison cells. The inmates, over a dozen men and women held at the Orléans-Saran Penitentiary Center, had gathered to discuss novels published in France this year and pick the one they thought was the best. They were part of the very first edition of a new, government-sponsored literary prize bestowed by prisoners. The award, called the Goncourt des détenus, or inmates’ Goncourt, is the most recent of several offshoots of France’s most prestigious literary award. Inmates met over three months in the fall to discuss books on the Goncourt’s long list of 15 finalists, and to chose a winner. The prize was awarded on Thursday in Paris to Sarah Jollien-Fardel for “Sa Préférée,” or “His Favorite,” about a woman struggling to cope with the legacy of her father’s physical and psychological abuse. Some prisons have organized their own literary prizes, but the inmates’ Goncourt is unprecedented in size and reach, with about 500 people detained in 31 prisons taking part. It is also prominently backed and promoted by the French government, which is often under fire from the right for being too lenient with convicts and from the left for incarcerating too many people in run-down facilities. The Goncourt project, however, has faced little criticism — a sign of literature’s sacred place in French culture and of the belief in its life-changing virtues. For many inmates, the prize was a chance to connect with others, to escape detention’s dreariness, and to brush off the stigma of prison. “Just because we are inmates,” said Mathilde, “it doesn’t mean that we aren’t worth anything.” Tap the link in our bio to read more. 📸: @andreamantovaniphotography for The New York Times