- “The workers are the fundamental pillar of the penitentiary system and the guarantee of hope for the inmates and their future without deprivation of liberty,” stressed López
- The subdelegate reiterated the commitment of the Government of Spain to provide adequate facilities for the service
The deputy delegate in Lugo, Olimpia López, presided today the event on the occasion of the festivity of La Merced, patron of the Penitentiary Institutions, where she expressed the gratitude of the Lucense society to the public service of the professionals of the centers of Bonxe and Monterroso. In his speech, López stressed that “workers are the mainstay and fundamental pillar of the penitentiary system and the guarantee of hope for inmates and their future without deprivation of liberty.”
The subdelegate referred to the programs of labor and educational training, cultural and sports activities, therapies and volunteer projects that are developed in Bonxe and Monterroso, “keys to the social reintegration of inmates, which is the priority objective of the service.”
Olimpia López gave as an example Bonxe’s initiatives, with 380 inmates and 250 professionals, such as respect modules, specialized care for people with mental illnesses or animal-assisted therapy. In Monterroso, with 240 workers and 460 inmates, he highlighted cultural and sports activities, as well as programs aimed at sexual aggressors and the acquisition of social skills.
The commitment of the Government of Spain, added the subdelegate, “is to provide penitentiaries with adequate facilities so that their work is carried out in the best possible conditions.” In fact, in Bonxe the improvement of two offices is being carried out and, in 2027, the start of the reform of the cells and the construction of two courtyards is expected. For its part, in Monterroso, the remodeling of the windows, the renovation of the roofs and changes and improvements in the security systems are planned for the coming months.
The subdelegate also valued the work of the Service for the Management of Penalties and Alternative Measures, “a work, sometimes less visible, but also necessary for the proper functioning of the system.”
During the celebration, the decorations for penitentiary and social merit awarded by the General Secretariat of Penitentiary Institutions were presented. Entre ellas, Olimpia López entregó la Medalla de Plata al Mérito Social la Nuria Fernández Pérez, fiscal de vigilancia penitenciaria.
The event was attended by the directors of the centers of Bonxe and Monterroso, José Manuel Pernás and Félix Rodríguez; the mayor of Monterroso, Eloy Pérez; the provincial deputy, Pablo Rivera; and the territorial director of the Presidency, Javier Nodal, along with other civil and judicial authorities.
Recognition of commitment and professional trajectory
At the event, the Silver Medal for Social Merit was awarded to Nuria Fernández Pérez, prosecutor for prison surveillance; José Río Ramilo, chaplain of the C.P. Bonxe; and Luis Miguel Romera, chief provincial commissioner of Lugo. In the section of Prison Merit, Julio Fernández Carballido, head of services of the C.P., received the Silver Medal. Monterroso, posthumously; Pedro Rivera Castro, head of services of the C.P. Bonxe; and Ana Iglesias Rodríguez, jurist of the C.P. Bonxe. Jesús Francisco Busto Fernández, Chief of Services of the C.P. Bonxe, received the Bronze Medal.
Seven officials were also recognized with a mention for their 25 years of service and an Honorable Mention for relevant performance in the performance of the tasks assigned to another twenty. “It is fair to make your work visible with these medals and mentions and to thank you for the dedication and the vocation of public service that brought you here. You are proof that the joint effort guarantees a fairer society,” concluded the deputy delegate.