The delegate of the Government in Cantabria, Eugenia Gómez de Diego, has presided in Santoña the institutional act of the festivity of the Virgen de la Merced, patron of Penitentiary Institutions.
The celebration, which took place this Tuesday, was attended by the director of the prison of El Dueso, Francisco Javier García Bedoya, and by more than a hundred employees, representatives of the State security forces and bodies and members of the municipal corporation, among others.
During the event, Gómez de Diego praised the work of the prison staff and their commitment to social reintegration, highlighting their "daily dedication and their vocation of public service".
Within the framework of the celebration, several distinctions have been awarded. Pedro Luis Ramos and Roberto Rodríguez were recognized with an honorable mention for their 25 years of service. The bronze medal for penitentiary merit was awarded to Ángel Andrés Mateo, head of the Service of Management of Penalties and Alternative Measures of the José Hierro Social Insertion Center (CIS).
Likewise, Guadalupe Campelo, delegate of data protection, and Amparo Ibaceta, official of the Office of Administration of El Dueso, received honorable mentions. For its part, the Diocesan Hospitality of Our Lady of Lourdes was awarded the Silver Medal of Social Merit for its work over the last 30 years, making it easier for prison inmates to become volunteers to help sick people to pilgrimage to Lourdes.
The event ended with words of thanks from Gómez de Diego, who highlighted the "collective effort" of all those present in the construction of a more human prison system and oriented to social reintegration.