Spain: NGOs and prisons work together on new Council

A social penitentiary council (Consejo Social Penitenziario) has been created to facilitate NGO work in prisons. The Council will be made up of third sector representatives as well as prison administrative staff and will have a consultative role.

The Council aims to support the social work that NGOs carry out in prisons and to help them develop new programmes, especially by providing legal advice. Mercedes Gallizo, general director of Spain?s Penitentiary Institutions explained that: ?The work that NGOs are carrying out within prison walls has become increasingly professional. The contribution that they make to helping inmates integrate back into society is vital as is their role in promoting values and commitment within society. The creation of this council demonstrates our will to recognise their work?.

A dynamic sector
Miguel Pérez-Lozao, director of the Fundación Atenea Grupo GID and one of the NGO representatives within the council highlighted that this new council will make coordination more effective and efficient. ?The NGO sector that works with prisons us a dynamic, vast and multifaceted one? says Péres-Lozao, who also reminds us that the work of volunteers benefits the whole of society because it ensures that the prison is ?more efficient? and ?human?.

According to Luciano Poyato, president of the Unión Nacional de Asociaciones y Entidades de Ayuda al Drogodependiente (UNAD), the Council will enable NGOs to work around their differences and commit to working together transparently and with high qualitative standards. Poyato called this agreement a ?historic? moment and said that ?until now, no government in Spain had ever had the courage to take such a step?. He also added that the aim of prisons, that have increasing numbers of inmates, is to re-integrate people into society and that these members of society should not be forgotten.

Jaime Garralda, of Horizontes Abiertos, said he welcomed the positive attitude the institutions were demonstrating towards NGOs and reminded that the main reason behind the creation of the Council was the need for cooperation between volunteers, staff and inmates.

Spanish prisons
Today more than 527 NGOs work in the 77 Spanish prisons. In total more than 5, 000 people (volunteers and employees) work on different prison projects, from healthcare to special work groups to prevent drug abuse, to overcome racial issues and female needs to educational and social integration programmes, sport activities and employment support.

The NGOs that work in prisons are also asking the Government for 15 million euros in extra funds to secure their activities and guarantee continuity.

The NGOs that will be represented in the Council are:
Cáritas
Confederación de Entidades para la Atención de las adicciones
Fundación Gizakia
Cruz Roja
Feaps
Fundación Atenea Grupo Para la Intervención en Drogodependencias
Fundación Padre Garralda
Pastoral Penitenciaria
Solidarios Para el Desarrollo
UNAD