What happens when you're separated from life, environment or people and socially isolated for 3, 6, 10, 20 or 25 years? Who's in jail? What do we know about the men and women serving in Zaballa's macro-prison?
For those who have been serving prisoners serving sentences in Zaballa prison for decades, we want to reflect on the possibilities that the application of Basic Income in the Basque Autonomous Community can entail for this group.
Let's think of a moment in jail, in that powerful institution that society doesn't know. It's like a social microcosm with all social problems.
We believe that human rights are one of the fundamental keys to the care of people deprived of their liberty, both because they are a vulnerable group that brings together many needs, and because of the reality of being in prison. It must be borne in mind that the right to freedom is one of the most important fundamental rights and that its abolition has serious consequences for these people. Custodial sentences, resocialization and re-education should have a double constitutional orientation that should be taken as a reference, so prisoners should obtain a model of compliance that prioritizes the execution of the sentence in the open medium, with specialized means of care. We defend a model of social compliance and that would have the support of the community.
"How can we cope with the return to society from vulnerability? The reconstruction of a life at the end of a prison is very expensive emotionally, socially and economically"
The majority of those serving the penalty of deprivation of liberty have deficits and educational, social, training, health, economic or emotional needs, and require specialized means to address them, and the responsibility lies with the community and public and social institutions.
In addition, people in prison continue to have basic needs (clothing, footwear, cleaning and hygiene products, telephone calls, coffee or tobacco...). Some may have a paid job (with low wages) or a pension. A high percentage receive family support with the economic burden it entails. But there's also a group of people who don't have income.
When departure processes begin (with secondary permits, daily departures in open mode, etc. ), expenditure increases with transport, food, telephony, housing search, etc. There are those who have to face civil liability for the crime, collaborate in childcare... Others have great health needs (medication not fully covered by Social Security, prostheses, various dental diseases, need for glasses, etc. ).
And there comes a freedom that is both dreaded and terrible. How do we face the return to society from vulnerability? The reconstruction of a life at the end of the prison is very costly, emotionally, socially and economically.
For those who have been able to maintain family and friendly ties, the road to travel will not be so difficult. But that is not the reality of an important sector of the ex-prison population. There are people serving sentences outside their places of origin, they are poor, they have health problems (the consumption of toxins, as a result of a long sentence), family relations may be deteriorated, external social resources are increasingly difficult to care for this group and, above all, they may feel completely alone and unheaded.
The existence of an unconditional Basic Income would undoubtedly represent important benefits for the area to which we refer, dignifying and empowering people.
In prison:
- Persons deprived of their liberty could face day-to-day and routine expenses without being imposed by the family economy.
- Having an unconditional Basic Income would improve the quality of life inside the prison, improve autonomy, improve mental health and self-esteem.
- Unconditional Basic Income would help to reduce economic inequalities and power between prisoners and prisoners in order to reduce chauvinist, racist or simply against the most unprotected people.
- The right to an unconditional basic income would favour the existence of work in conditions similar to those in prison.
- Unconditional Basic Income would make it possible to meet civil responsibilities, plan to leave prison with more guarantees, help cover the cost of caring for children or dependants, etc.
- A decline in criminal activity could be envisaged, resulting in significant savings in the costs of crime and a reduction in the emotional and human suffering consequences (in victims and victims).
After serving the sentence out of prison:
"Unconditional Basic Income will be the best vaccine that allows them to integrate into the new itinerary and be part of the community"
- Out of jail, Unconditional Basic Income becomes an essential tool to start a new life in more dignified conditions.
- Unconditional Basic Income empowers those who receive it because it promotes autonomy, because it allows them to do life projects, because it can decide with whom to live. This is especially true of women who are victims of abuse.
- The Unconditional Basic Income, in alleviating the situation of poverty, will be an effective instrument to deal with situations of stigmatization and vulnerability with greater self-esteem.
For all prisoners and ex-prisoners, but above all for all population groups in a situation of lack of protection, Unconditional Basic Income will be the best vaccine that will allow them to integrate into the new itinerary and become part of the community.
* The article has been subscribed by the following associations:
Salhaketa of Álava,
Home,
Gypsy association Gao Lacho Rom,
Sidalava Citizen Anti-AIDS Commission of Álava,
Adap Prisoners Support Association. .
Bidali zure iritzi artikuluak iritzia@argia.eus helbide elektronikora
ARGIAk ez du zertan bat etorri artikuluen edukiarekin. Idatzien gehienezko luzera 4.500 karakterekoa da (espazioak barne). Idazkera aldetik gutxieneko zuzentasun bat beharrezkoa da: batetik, ARGIAk ezin du hartu zuzenketa sakona egiteko lanik; bestetik, egitekotan edukia nahi gabe aldatzeko arriskua dago. ARGIAk azaleko zuzenketak edo moldaketak egingo dizkie artikuluei, behar izanez gero.
Wikipedia.org considers that Gish gallop (Gish's gallop) or the machine gun of fallacies "is a technique of controversy that attacks the opponent with as many arguments as possible, without taking into account the accuracy or solidity of those arguments" and would have as side... [+]
The origin of the term lies at the beginning of the nineteenth century. At that time, the imperialist pretensions of the British Liberals clashed with the Russians, which spread in Asia and hindered the desire for colonization of England. To protect its interests, England used... [+]
Through the Wallapop app, I sold some mediocre loudspeakers before the summer. Maybe the product description was a little swollen, it's true. The shopper put me three out of five stars. It was clearly not worth it.
The next week, I drove from Irun to Bilbao to a man of my age,... [+]
I was once in the burial of a friend's father. Our friend asked us to take a flower from the bouquets, if they wanted to. I can't say no to flowers, let alone roses, especially red flowers. So I took a beautiful red rose.
With the rose in my hand, I greeted the acquaintances of... [+]
Our towns and cities do not take care of us. We lack land, green areas, community spaces. Our people are designed to serve the capital. In the care village, however, life is the center.
Before, there was a main street, a gigantic street that crossed the city. Consumption and... [+]
A few days ago, the new French Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, joined the so-called "migratory confusion", one of the most pressing issues. It has provided the prefects of the State with clear mandates: zero tolerance towards immigrants and structures and prisoners who show... [+]
An interesting round table was held on 15 October at the meetings of working economists. It was attended by employers, the National Social Security Institute and a trade union centre in Osakidetza. The topic of debate was the absenteeism that increasingly has an impact on the... [+]
In the last year, it has happened to me to see people related to the non-professional realm in digital groups that have used artificial intelligence to give arguments to others. I share it as my own. One's own, but not linked to the sense of property, but processed from one's own... [+]
I started to mentally write my article while I was in the car. I usually have the best ideas in the car while driving alone. I'm going to Bilbao, to the Arriaga theater. The Artedrama company is today staging the Miñan play. It's Friday, October 25.
Approaching the atrium of the... [+]
The society in which we live is absolutely based on subordination. Over the centuries, our lives have been shaped according to it, and little by little the power of decision, freedom and sovereignty have been reduced. Sometimes they've taken us away with force, sometimes we've... [+]
What blew me a lot is the way some doctors talk to the patient. They talk to us about pain as if we were children. As I have had two kidney transplants, I know what I mean: among other things, I have had a tube inside my penis. Because of the anesthesia, I didn't feel how I got... [+]
The two main voters in Kanbo (the mayor and the prime minister) are the rabid ones. Three citizens have been beaten with a plainta, for protesting in favour of the eviction of the neighbor Marienea.Es the second time that, at 06:00 in the morning, they take us out of bed (with... [+]
“The time has come for courageous, comprehensive and noble proposals (…) for Euskal Herria to re-enter the world’s revolts,” said friend Hartu López Arana in her opinion article “For an effective aggression” published in ARGIA magazine in July 2018. Six years have... [+]