About 700 books were delivered to the Palmas Regional Penal Unit, on the morning of Wednesday (9th). The copies were collected through the campaign: "Donate Books - Reading Frees" -, held by the Superior School of the Judges of the State of Tocantins (ESMAT), between August and October this year.
For the librarian of the school, Silvânia Olortegui, who accompanied the transport and official delivery of the books, the books have the ability to transform the reality of the inmates through reading. "The collection campaign is a way to encourage the habit of reading among inmates, and, of course, to contribute to the possibility of sentence remission", she said.
The head of the Penal Unit, Alexandre Cícero, thanked Esmat in particular for the initiative and realization of the campaign. "This donation will be so important, we understand that the remission through reading brings something extraordinary to the person deprived of liberty. It is through reading that they are able to advance beyond the bars and walls, to have a new condition of being reinserted in society, better than when they entered", he emphasized.
Alexandre also highlighted the importance of actions of this nature and how the donations of the campaign will not only contribute, but also make possible a leap in the remission project of the inmates.
In an emotional testimonial, a prisoner - representing all the inmates of the Penal Unit - emphasized his happiness in being able to participate in the project and pointed out the changes that reading and working brought to his life.
“The enormous wealth acquired by reading, by reading to set free, and by the teachings absorbed in our lives through reading, allows us to have a broader vision of citizenship. That project about dignity through work, there, brought to my life very rich examples, which is you work, read, and bring to your new life as a citizen. Allowing you to treat people with more civility, allowing you to develop a noble character as a citizen, although deprived of freedom, but with a joint vision of society," he commented.
In his speech, the Superintendent of Administration of the Penitentiary and Prison Systems, Rogério Gomes, made a highlight in congratulating the testimony of the detainee. "His statement shows how important the reading project and programs are inside the prison units. Today, seeing the speech of the inmate, I can see that this is a work that changes the lives of the inmates," he said.
The judge for the Criminal Court and Penal Execution, Allan Ferreira Martins, who was also present at the event, emphasized how important the involvement of society is with actions aimed at the reinsertion of the convicts. "The law of penal execution itself talks about the involvement of the community for the reestablishment and reintegration of people who, for some reason, were penalized for committing a crime, but this does not mean that because they committed a crime they should be removed, relegated, and forgotten. On the contrary, we need to give all the attention possible to these people", he added.
According to the executive secretary for citizenship and justice, Deusiano Amorim, the remission by reading project is a way to contribute to the development of a more humanized system.
"I want to give special thanks to the Judiciary and to Esmat for this great project, for this great achievement that they are bringing to our unit, which is the acquisition of these 700 books. For sure our project "Read to Set Free" will grow a lot more and we will see the results of this action echoing in all the units of the state", he explained.
On the opportunity, Deusiano also expressed his gratitude for the work done by the teachers of the Unit and for the current and future results added by the teachings promoted by them.
The rescue of educational practices, recognizing reading as a form of social restoration is one of the steps that can contribute to the reduction of idleness, preventing criminal recidivism and providing the detainee with the possibility of social reinsertion and the aggregation of ethical and moral values.
About Sentence Remission
Resulting from the Resolution number 391, of Monday 10th, 2021, by recommendation of the National Justice Council (CNJ), the project, created from SECIJU/TO Directive number 709, of September 2nd, 2021, published in the State Official Daily number 5924, which regulates the remission of punishment by reading, says that the registration must occur voluntarily, and, according to the Directive, the participants will have the right to the remission of four days of the sentence per book read, having a limit of 12 works per year. This way, the prisoner has the possibility to remit up to 48 days of the sentence every twelve months.
At the end of the reading of each work, the participant must prepare a summary or other document, including drawings or an oral presentation for those who are not literate and who are also entitled to participate in the Project. This document will serve as proof that the reading was done, which will be evaluated by the Commission for Validation of Remission of Part of the Sentence by Reading. The evaluation will be qualitative, taking into consideration the interest and dedication of the participant.
