Experience of the participation of people deprived of liberty in the process of improving citizen skills.

Abstract

The purpose of the penal systems is to promote processes of citizen participation and education within the Penitentiary Centers, to return to society citizens committed to the community and the improvement of social cohesion, thus avoiding the repetition of the criminal act and improving the social inclusion process. In this sense, participation is an ideal way to train citizens in democratic values and, therefore, one of the most powerful ways to promote peace and social coexistence. This article introduces a new way of understanding penal execution, where citizen education and the formation of participatory, critical, and committed citizens with the community surpasses the classic remuneration purpose. The implementation of the Participation and Coexistence Model in Catalan prisons, specifically in the Lledoners Penitentiary Center, where it shows significant benefits both in improving the quality of life and in the process of returning to the community. The process of identity change through action and educational support allows and facilitates the process of social reintegration.

In this article we will review the benefits of spaces for participation in the process of change and reeducation and the improvement of the quality of life of inmates. It will be done through the voices of professionals who live together, both indoors and for treatment, and who are part of the Penitentiary Center.