Chilean prisons host astronomy and science programs for inmates

Educational and scientific initiatives are being implemented in Chilean correctional facilities to promote learning and social reintegration.

In Valparaíso, the University of Valparaíso’s School of Law and the Institute of Physics and Astronomy organized a session for youth at the Valparaíso Penitentiary Complex. The event combined literature and astronomy, featuring a reading of “The Essential Invisibles to the Eyes” from Francesco Palla’s book, “The Universe of The Little Prince.” The activity aimed to foster dialogue and reflection through scientific popularization.

Similarly, the Quillota Preventive Detention Center hosted a Science Week organized by the Colegio Profesor Manuel Guerrero Ceballos in collaboration with Gendarmería de Chile. The program included a mobile planetarium provided by the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, lectures on neutron stars and the solar system, and solar observations using specialized telescopes. These efforts are designed to strengthen education as a tool for prisoner reintegration.