EDUCATION IN SPANISH PRISONS: TRAINING AND SOCIO-EDUCATIONAL ACTION WITH DRUG DEPENDENT WOMEN IN PRISON

Education in the penitentiary field constitutes a major challenge as a right contemplated in international and national law, to be present in all establishments for serving a sentence; as well as an essential protection factor for recovery and reintegration of people in prison. The aim of this paper is to analyze the current situation of treatment in prison from school education and socio-educational intervention with drug dependent women in prison. This R&D research, developed from a multi-method approach with a sample of 15 % of females held in national prisons, analyzed through 538 valid questionnaires, 61 semi-structured interviews, participation and evaluation of the people in prison in formal programs (literacy, lower secondary education, upper secondary education and university) and social programs (self-esteem, social skills, children's education, gender, socio-cultural and sports programs, modules about respect and preparation for a life of freedom). Furthermore, this study presents, from four different consumption profiles (not addicted, active addicts, former addicts, and addicts in methadone maintenance programs), some of the most significant data and analysis programs and educational activities presented in the processes of prevention and cessation of drug use problems and social reintegration. Within some of the key findings, positive feedback of programs with socio-educational emphasis was found (in the ranking from highest to lowest: self-esteem, social skills, socio-cultural programs and gender) to be higher than regulated programs, although school programs at all levels are very highly rated and represent the lacking basic education in almost 26 % of the women in prison. There is little participation in programs such as early childhood education or gender (although almost 80 % of them are mothers who have previously suffered gender-based violence) and by profiles, the former addicts are the least participative and motivated.