Publication Announcement
Cooperativa Liberté is pleased to announce the publication of the research paper "Cooperativa Liberté: del horror a la esperanza. Práctica restaurativa penitenciaria", by Sofía Agudo Lutjens, originally published on the academic platform Política Criminal de la Libertad and now also available in our new Research section.
Abstract
This is a rigorous yet deeply human academic study of what takes place inside Cooperativa Liberté, at the heart of Unidad Penal N° 15 in Batán. The author analyzes the cooperative experiment as a concrete response to the dominant punitive logic: 200 incarcerated people organized across 13 productive units who rewrite the meaning of confinement through work, education, and cooperativism.
The paper gathers testimonies, institutional data, and theoretical reflections in dialogue with voices such as those of Diana Márquez, members of the cooperative, INAES president Alexandre Roig, and our own founder Xavier "Pampa" Aguirreal. The research provides evidence of how cooperative practice can function as a form of restorative justice that restores dignity and reduces recidivism.
Significance and Recognition
For the cooperative, this publication holds special meaning: for the first time, an independent academic study documents our journey and opens it to public debate. We thank Sofía for the trust, rigor, and sensitivity with which she approached our work; Política Criminal de la Libertad for hosting and disseminating the research; and the Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata for sustaining lines of inquiry that dare to look at what happens behind prison walls.
An Invitation to the Community
We invite researchers, educators, students, social organizations, and anyone interested in imagining a different criminal justice policy to read and share this work. The Research section is open to new academic contributions about Liberté and, more broadly, about cooperative experiences in contexts of incarceration.
👉 Read the full research paper here · Also available for download in PDF.
