"The gods should not be censured because they do not err in anything, neither against their will nor on purpose. Neither should men, because they err in nothing if it is not against their will. In conclusion, no one should be censured."
Marcus AureliusWhen you think of the word jail, the first thing that comes to mind is a place of confinement where those who are "condemned" by society for some sordid reason go, which from the outset, for someone who has never been there, generates rejection and some apprehension at least. That same image came to me the day I was offered to come voluntarily, still a newcomer to IPEP. I remember that they added to the offer to go there the tagline: "...but it's not obligatory, you can refuse to go" as if it was understood that I was going to be a participant in "a teaching sentence". Against all odds, I decided to give step forward into the unknown and do it. I changed the prevailing discourse and accepted the challenge because I sensed that behind those bars an opportunity was opening that could undoubtedly enrich me both professionally and personally.
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| Photo https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/es/press-room/20171002IPR85130/reduce-overcrowding-in-prisons-to-prevent-radicalisation-urge-meps |
Now I can say, after three years going there, I was not mistaken. That experience was demanding, because it forced you to get the best out of yourself in order to reach the inmates. I also discovered that this path was a two-way street: I tried to teach and transmit some values to them, but they also taught me and how much. Among other things, I learned that the paths through which life can take you sometimes not only depend on you and that arriving in prison as an inmate depends on many more variables, many of them the result of childhood lived, of the family that touched you or the avatars of fortune. I also learned that there is a second chance for those who courageously choose not to submit to misfortune. I learned that there is a reward for those who remain faithful to their efforts to reintegrate into society. I discovered broken dreams but also the courage of those who, despite the difficulties that life has thrown their way, fight against all odds to regain their place in society. And finally, I became aware of the teacher's responsibility in helping reintegration through the work I did there. I hope that society also becomes aware of this process so that we can all make a more just and humane world.
By Juan Manuel Barragán De la Rosa.
Head of English IPEP Jaén.
Y si quieres usar este texto con tus alumnos en tus clases de vikingués, aquí tienes el texto tuneado para ser usado.
Saludos.
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