Prison Inmates Will Repair Sports Facilities
The director of the Penitentiary System, Diomedes Kaa, said the National Sports Institute (Pandeportes) will give the opportunity for inmates to participate in the repair of sports grounds, in a program similar to the one managed by the Ministry of Education. Kaa said inmates must meet certain requirements, including having served two-thirds of their sentence. When asked about the new perimeter fence at the La Joya prison, he said in the coming days it should be 100% operational, upon completion of training. He also confirmed approval has been granted for the construction of a new prison and that soon they would be accepting bids so that hopefully by August they would have a firm plan for the construction of this new facility, which will house about 5,500 inmates. (Source: La Critica)
Editor's Comment: The inmates love these kinds of programs. It gives them the opportunity to get out of the prison for awhile, and only inmates on good behavior with no record of problems while incarcerated are selected to participate. The biggest enemy in a Panamanian prison is boredom, at least for those inmates who are locked up with other non-violent offenders. Anyone who criticizes this program has probably never set foot inside of La Joya. The inmates there would do anything to be able to get out for a day for a change of scenery and some fresh air - even if that includes having to do things like cutting the grass, painting a backboard, or what have you. And besides, you get to see chicks on the street from the bus...
