COVID-19: Inmates must produce 15,000 protective masks in the state

As has happened in other prisons in Rondônia, inmates of the Cacoal Detention House are engaged in the production of handmade masks. The production, as explained by the general director, Gilberto Santos de Andrade, will be primarily intended for the area of ​​public security, such as the Military Police, Civil Police, Military Fire Department and to serve the prison system in Rondônia, through the Secretary of State of Justice (Sejus), as a way of preventing the spread of the new coronavirus.”We also want to allocate part of the production to the poorest population in the municipality, in social vulnerability, to the most peripheral neighborhoods”, explained the director. In Cacoal, the prison system has 16 inmates in the women’s wing and 12 of them are involved in making masks. To start the process, two inmates participated in an intensive cutting and sewing workshop at the atelier of the Regional Penitentiary Agenor Martins de Carvalho, in Ji-Paraná, which is also involved in the production of masks. “We had some sewing machines here at the unit, but they weren’t being used yet. We have this plan to set up a studio and, given the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus and the need for masks, we managed to get some donations and resources from the Court of Justice and Prosecution, we purchased production supplies, we sent two inmates to an intensive course at the unit. prison in the district of Ji-Paraná, which replicated all the knowledge acquired to the other inmates”, highlighted Gilberto de Andrade. According to the director, the making of the masks also includes the participation of employees of the House of Detention and volunteers. The internal targets are to produce 15 thousand masks.” They are firm in this purpose, to reach 15 thousand masks made. We prepared a special space to set up this studio, we did a renovation, a painting, we prepared all the conditions. We also had the support of the Public Ministry, which made possible some donations.” The work of the inmates began last Friday (10) and production is expected to reach 500 masks per day. They are working in the production in the morning, from 7:00 am to 11:00 am and in the afternoon, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. It is noteworthy that after making, the masks are sterilized by the health professionals of the prison unit, packaged and only then sent for donation.ACTION IN OTHER UNITS In addition to Cacoal and Ji-Paraná, inmates from prisons in four other municipalities in Rondônia are involved in the production of masks and even aprons to meet the need for protective equipment for inmates themselves and prison system staff. Work using incarcerated labor is a practice of social reintegration through learning.The actions are taking place at the units in Rolim de Moura, at the Suely Maria Mendonça Resocialization Center in Porto Velho, at the Jaru Detention House and the Jaru Women’s Prison, and at the Vilhena Detention House.