Canção Nova newsroom, with BRAZILIAN BISHOPS
On Thursday, 26, the Auxiliary Bishop of Brasília (DF) and General Secretary of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), Bishop Leonardo Ulrich Steiner issued a statement against the privatization of the prison system. The text indicates that the current prison system is bankrupt and unable to comply with institutional purposes.
Economic groups in the (Brazilian) Senate press in pursuit of 531/PLS 2011 approval, which concerns the recruitment of public-private partnership for the construction and administration of criminal justice systems.
Check out the note:
NOTE OF THE BRAZILIAN BISHOPS AGAINST THE PRIVATIZATION OF THE PRISON SYSTEM
P-Nr. 0878/15
“I was in prison, and you came to visit me” (Mt 25.37)
The Bishops ‘ Pastoral Board (CONSEP) of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), meeting in Brasilia, on 24 and 25 November 2015, follow with concern the course, in the Senate, establishing general guidelines for the hiring of a public-private partnership for the construction and administration of penal establishments.
According to data from the National Penitentiary Department, the prison population of Brazil exceeds the number of 600,000 people. There appear scarce signs of improvement that meet the objective of social reintegration of prisoners. Still there remains serious violations of fundamental rights and guarantees.
The current prison system, competence of the Brazilian State, is bankrupt and unable to meet its institutional purposes.
Says the Pope and we bishops with him: “it’s painful to see prison systems that don’t seek to heal . . .generate new opportunities. (…). It’s always easier to fill the prisons than to help those move forward who erred in life (…). In this period of detention, in particular,they need a hand to help in social reintegration, desired by all: inmates, families, employees, social and educational policies. A reintegration benefits and raises the moral level of all “(Pope).
The inefficiency of the prison system cannot lead to privatization. Human beings can never have their dignity demeaned for profit and imprisonment don’t mix. A privatized prison system opens up possibilities for more and bigger penalties.
Therefore, the Bishops of this Council, we express our rejection of the PLS No 513/2011 and the proposals for the privatisation of the Brazilian prison system or part of it.
Asking the father of goodness your merciful protection for all, we express our unrestricted support to the Prison Ministry, on its mission of announcing the good news and defending the dignity of the imprisoned person.
Brasilia, November 25 2015
Archbishop Sergio da Rocha
Archbishop of Brasília-DF
President of the Brazilian Bishops
Archbishop Murilo S. R. Krieger
Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia-BA
Vice-President of the Brazilian Bishops
Don Leonardo Ulrich Steiner
Auxiliary Bishop of Brasília-DF
Secretary-General of the CNBB
(nb: not an official translation)