Prison education in Mercosul

Abstract

Education should be seen as a right, not for reintegration. Of course this is very important, but if reintegration is impossible, education remains a right. We should not instrumentalize education solely for a social or political-social role. Education can be a solution if it is a lifelong education, not just the professional type or re-education. It is for many prisoners the first opportunity to understand their history and to try to develop their own life project. The notion of prison education as a right is at the height of discussions around the world. In November 2006, for example, Brazil hosted the discussions in the Mercosur Educational Forum in Belo Horizonte, which had as one of the focus groups the Seminar on Prison Education, which received authorities on this issue from all Latin America and Europe And entities related to education and human rights. The objective was to create a Latin American network of discussions that would put prison education as the inalienable right of all and possible solutions to make this education more profitable.