CAT/OP/CRI/CSPRO/1
results in other prisons on the basis of the data collected. This project has been given the
green light by the Directorate General for Social Rehabilitation.
127. The current administration’s governance plan provides for the roll-out of the
“Building Opportunities” project, a multidisciplinary initiative led by the competent
ministerial office. The project consists of employment programmes, including, for example,
a programme aimed at placing prisoners’ products on the market. Foremost among the legal
advances made this year was the drafting of updated prison system regulations, which are
currently under review. Progress in other areas includes the launch of an initiative to create
new employment opportunities through public-public and public-private partnerships and to
strengthen ongoing projects designed to provide technical and professional training to
promote the development of the necessary skills for social reintegration. (See Official Letter
No. DNASI-113-2020, attached.)
128. Entrepreneurial small-scale production in prisons has been given a boost thanks to
coordination between the Ministry of Justice and Peace, the Ministry of Economic Affairs,
Industry and Trade, the National Training Institute and the Costa Rican Tourism Board. The
“Opportunities for Self-Employment in Small-Scale Production” programme explores
alternative strategies and mechanisms for improving and optimizing the production of
handmade goods in prisons to allow persons deprived of liberty and their families to sell their
own products on the national market.
129. One of the most significant steps taken in this area has been the registration of the
“Second Chance” brand of prisoner-made products, which has brought national recognition
to products made by persons deprived of liberty. The certification of prisoner-made products
with the national brand of Costa Rica and the artisan seal of authenticity recognized by the
competent institutions is under way. In 2018 and 2019, around 15 different craft fairs were
held to demonstrate the craft skills of the prison population, including, for example, the “Give
Yourself a Second Chance” fair held in a shopping centre in the city of Alajuela. These
experiences give persons deprived of liberty a chance to enjoy time outside of the prison
walls and contribute to changing the punitive and repressive attitudes that are widespread in
society. In keeping with the principle of shared responsibility, the community has also been
given opportunities to create spaces for social reintegration, with the support of local
governments in municipalities such as Liberia, San Carlos, Limón, Alajuela, and Nicoya,
which have promoted the sale of handicrafts in local markets.
130. The opening up of new opportunities in the area of education and its benefits has been
a long-standing project for the Ministry of Justice and Peace, which is why social
reintegration is a fundamental aspect of the prisoner support model. It requires a rethink of
how prisons are run, with a view to counteracting the effects of prisonization, including its
knock-on effects on the family, recidivism and overcrowding. All convicted prisoners and
pretrial detainees are entitled to enrol in literacy programmes, levels 1, 2 and 3 of the modular
education programme for young people and adults, open education programmes,
programmes run by the State Distance University and free courses.
131. One of the goals of the academic process must be to ensure that persons deprived of
liberty devote part of their free time to study towards predetermined objectives. In this regard,
informal education, especially the developmental education courses designed by the Ministry
of Education, has become a fundamental tool. The availability of these courses depends on
student demand, the specificities of the prison population and sociocultural context of each
prison.
132. With regard to sport, indoor and outdoor football, chess, volleyball, and baseball
tournaments have all been organized in the past, as have athletic games (with and without
relay races) and weightlifting competitions. Various traditional games have also been held to
celebrate different events.
133. By virtue of a comprehensive approach encompassing education, training, sports,
culture, spirituality and work, as well as individual and group activities led by professionals
including psychologists, social workers, counsellors, lawyers, occupational therapists,
nutritionists, doctors and nurses, persons deprived of liberty are encouraged to coexist
peacefully and to adhere to social norms, which in turn facilitates their reintegration into
society and the world of work.
16
GE.20-17766
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