Inmates from Pará sign furniture for Vila COP
Vila COP30 furniture carries the seal of social reintegration and life change
The works carried out in Belém for the 30th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP30), which will take place in 2025, go far beyond infrastructure. Among the legacies left for the city is the human impact generated by initiatives that unite work, training, and new life perspectives.
For four months, 25 Incarcerated Individuals (IIs), held at the Coqueiro Custody and Reintegration Unit (UCRC), have been working on the production and assembly of nearly 3,000 pieces of furniture that make up the furnishings of Vila COP, a space that will host leaders and delegations from around the world. The initiative is part of the "Building New Stories" program from the State Secretariat of Penitentiary Administration (Seap) and symbolizes the concrete practice of social reintegration through work.
The State Secretary of Penitentiary Administration, Colonel QOPM Marco Antonio Sirotheau Corrêa Rodrigues, closely monitored the production and assembly process of the furniture in the carpentry workshops set up at the UCRC and in the spaces of the Leaders' Village.
"Almost 3,000 pieces of furniture produced in our workshops and assembled with prison labor. This is another example that reintegration through work changes the reality of all of us, enhancing public safety throughout Pará," declared the secretary.
For Sirotheau, social reintegration is the most solid path to transform lives. He highlighted the symbolism of having prison work present at an event of global relevance. "They are helping to build an event that projects Belém to the world. Social reintegration is not just talk, it is practice. We believe in change and are working to make it a reality."
The Director of Work and Production (DTP) of Seap, Belchior Machado, emphasized the protagonism of the teams in the structural works carried out by the Government of Pará for COP30. "We are involved in all the works that are basically structural, not only for the COP but for the city of Belém itself and for the state of Pará," he stated, recalling that inmates also participated in projects such as the Outeiro Port and Nova Doca.
Since 2019, the number of inmates involved in labor activities has increased from 1,600 to 5,000, a direct result of Seap's reintegration and professional qualification policy. "It is a very important job because prison work guarantees sentence remission, professional qualification, and also income for the families of these individuals. More than 600 inmates have been present in these structural works for Belém and for Pará. Prison work significantly contributes to social reintegration," highlighted the director.
In addition to income and sentence remission, the programs offer training in different areas, from carpentry and electrical work to plumbing and painting, expanding the possibilities for a fresh start.
"We have all these qualifications in the prison system, and also in the cleaning and maintenance of those works that have already been delivered, in addition to painting, furniture production, and various other public equipment," added Belchior.
The security manager of Seap, Lucas Pantoja, accompanies the group in the works and observes the technical and personal evolution of each inmate.
"Many arrived here knowing nothing about carpentry, nothing about assembly. And we have been teaching them. They have learned, qualified with new functions, and we have seen that they are committed to this mission," he shared.
Text by Márcio Sousa
