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A moment of freedom in prison

Several inmates of the Badajoz penitentiary participate in one of the sessions of the program.
The newspaper

Tranquility, inner peace, relaxation … It seems incredible that these words come from the mouth of Cristofer, 24, and Margarita, 41, two of the many people who are serving time in the Badajoz prison, but it is fair that which both assure that it brings them ‘Your moment of freedom’, a program that the Youth and Sports Foundation (FJyD) began to develop in 2010 and has now resumed after the political changes in the autonomous government and the pandemic.

«The project seeks the social reintegration of inmates through the values ​​of sport», Says Camino Merchán, a graduate in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences and the technician responsible for the activity in the capital of Badajoz, since it is also carried out in Cáceres. Thus, through games such as scoundrel or sports such as badminton, 20 prisoners and as many prisoners (because women also participate, although without mixing with men) do something different for 3 hours a week spread over two days: «Some have depression, others are sad or very bored and some are even angry. The idea is that this time helps them to forget a little about everything and that, somehow, they live as if they were in freedom».

This psychological background joins the social one by treating issues such as Respect for the rules and the rival that, as Merchán explains, represent a reflection of what life in society means. “It is good for their own personal growth and also for maturing, because sport teaches many things, from managing frustration when you don’t achieve your goal to having patience to achieve it,” adds Sonia Bejarano, managing director of the foundation.

The athlete strives to make it clear that, for the institution she directs, sport is not understood “as a privilege, but as a necessity” which is even more important in “social settings where it is more difficult to access this type of activity.”

Finally, the purely sports area, «a physical conditioning work for the improvement of the cardiopulmonary and muscular capacities ».

Extension

The program launched at the beginning of last June and It will end in December, although the intention is to expand it if the prisons agree and if the foundation has sufficient fundsEither their own or through the help of Fundación la Caixa and the provincial councils of both provinces, which are currently supporting a large part of the economic aspect.

At the moment, they already have the approval of Cristofer – «the inmates need to vent, we spend many hours locked up» – and Margarita – «greatly encourages camaraderie, makes us have a very pleasant time»-.

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