Spanish prisons expand inmate education and rehabilitation programs

More than half of the roughly 600 inmates at the A Lama penitentiary in Pontevedra are enrolled in educational courses for the 2025‑2026 academic year, according to prison authorities. The majority are taking literacy or basic schooling classes, while 142 prisoners are pursuing vocational training, high‑school equivalency or even university‑level studies at the EPAPU Nelson Mandela adult‑education centre, which will receive additional teachers from the regional education department.

Separately, psychologist and former inmate Pablo Yévenes – known online as “Pablito Recupera” – gave a motivational talk at the Los Andes correctional facility. Drawing on his own experience with drug addiction and rehabilitation, he addressed both male and female inmates about the importance of reintegration and drug‑prevention, an event organized as part of the prison’s Reintegration Day activities.

Both initiatives highlight a growing emphasis on education and personal development as tools to reduce recidivism among Spain’s incarcerated population.