Brasília - The Ministry of Sports' Path to Freedom ("Painting Freedom") Program, created in October, 1997, brings new hope and opportunity to individuals serving time in Brazilian prisons. The idea is to resocialize inmates through professional training. The new trade involves the production of sporting goods. Balls, bags, uniforms, caps, and warm-up suits are manufactured at the 62 factories that have been installed so far.

Yesterday (9), President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Minister of Sports, Agnelo Queiroz, went to Feira de Santana, in the state of Bahia, to inaugurate the expansion of the Juvenile Farm, one of the 62 units in the program. According to the Minister, 220 thousand pieces, among T-shirts, bermudas, shorts, and warm-up suits, will be produced at the Farm in the next six months.

A total of 12.7 thousand inmates participate in the program in all of Brazil. They receive payment to help their families or deposit in savings accounts, as well as reducing their sentences by one day for each three days they work.

The material they produce is used by the federal government in its social projects, such as the Second Half Program, also run by the Ministry of Sports, to promote the social inclusion of fundamental and secondary school students in areas of social risk, through the practice of sports during the half of the day when they are not attending classes. The partnership also makes it possible to alleviate another problem, the lack of sports equipment in public schools.

On August 1, 850 balls and 20 Brazilian flags were sent to Haiti. This material is used by the Brazilian Peace Force that is stationed there. The soldiers have gotten street children involved in various social projects, among them the practice of sports. "It is a way to calm and ease the population," affirms the coordinator of the Path to Freedom, Gerencio Nelcyr do Bem. 890 balls had already been sent to Haiti in April.

Agência Brasil
Reporter: Alessandra Bastos
Translator: David Silberstein
08/10/2004