AMERICA/COLOMBIA-Overcrowded prisons: "disciples and missionaries who can help people in prison" are needed

Bogota (Agenzia Fides) – According to the latest statistics from the National Penitentiary and Prison Institute(NPAPI), the Colombian penitentiary infrastructures have a capacity of 72,785 prisoners but currently there are about 91 000. The problem of overcrowded prisons was one of the topics covered in the recent Regional Meeting of the Center for Pastoral Care of Prisons.
In a note sent to Fides by the press office of the Colombian Bishops, Father Andrés Fernández Pinzón, general Chaplain of NPAPI and National Co-ordinator of pastoral care in prisons, said that in order to provide answers to the world of prisons "disciples and missionaries that can help people in prison are needed". Precisely for this reason the theme of the meeting, which took place from June 7 to 9 at the headquarters of the Episcopal Conference of Colombia (ECC), "Disciples and missionaries in the world of prisons " was chosen. Delegates from the regions of Bogotá, Meta, Cundinamarca, Florencia, Tolima and Boyaca attended the meeting.
As explained by Father Andrés Fernández, this was the first of six regional meetings to be held within the year. In the end there will be a national meeting. The goal is to create a national guide for the Prison Ministry in order to provide guidelines for work in prisons.
Father Andrés Fernández recalled that the situation of prisoners in the country is serious and therefore not only the solutions that involve the loss of personal freedom must be taken into account but also research opportunities for rehabilitation and subsequent reintegration into society. "We are all involved with the topic of prisons ... we all have a responsibility", said Father Fernandez, who also addressed the situation of children in prisons. The law provides that these children should stay with their mothers, confined, up to 3 years. On this point the priest expressed his concern for the pastoral and the consequences it generates in boys and girls, where on one hand are removed from their families and on the other hand have only a single reference that is in jail. (EC) (Agenzia Fides 06/11/2011)