José L is a young man who has been in prison for some time in the maximum-security penitentiary unit in the town of Batán. For him, the turning point came when he joined Liberté, a self-managed collective that proposes change through work, study, sports, recreation, and various activities, despite the confinement faced by those who take part every day.
From a locked ward to an open space
In conversation with Radio Liberté, José described his first impressions:
I feel good, honestly it's a calm place. It's a place where you can talk to people, they understand you, they listen to you. When you feel bad, they're there to lend you a hand, and things like that, good things. There's a lot of camaraderie, it's a calm place, really good.
On the difference between confinement and this new space, he said:
The change isn't just physical, your change is mental, emotional.
"It changed my mind a hundred percent"
After four months in the community, José says his outlook has changed completely.
I've been in the space for four months and it changed everything in my head, a hundred percent, because I no longer feel confined. Now I'm in an open place all day, in the fresh air, there's good camaraderie here. Here you can work, play sports, there's a lot going on. It's a beautiful place and it changed everything for me. I used to always be in a confined place. By being here all day in the open air, with people, with teammates I play soccer with, we do a lot of things. Everything is different, and for the better.
His routine at Liberté begins at 9 a.m. working in the vegetable garden. At midday he has lunch, and at 2 p.m. he starts with foot tennis and classic soccer. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 4 p.m., he takes part in the cooking course. He also attends the psychology office that Liberté offers as a service once every 15 days.
The impact extends to his family.
My family feels good, happy to know I'm doing things. They're happy about the progress I've made in so few months, because honestly I had never been in a place like this before, and I really do feel very good here at Liberté. My family also feels very good knowing that I can be in this place, working and doing the things I do.
Liberté's reports are already reaching the courts
A key fact in José L's process is institutional recognition. The courts have taken note of Liberté's existence and purpose, and now receive reports on the work carried out by community members when evaluating whether a person can access the legal rights they request in each case. Those rights can include a temporary release, parole, assisted release, or a set of measures aimed at partial or full recovery of freedom.
In José's case, his lawyer submitted reports to the courts on the work, study, and recreational activities carried out at Liberté. The process began after the Prosecutor's Office appealed the temporary release the judge had granted, arguing that the young man had no job.
In response to that objection, the defense decided to submit the employment, training, and support reports developed at Liberté to the Court of Cassation. The documentation proves that José works, trains in cooking, studies, and has access to recreational spaces, contradicting the prosecution's claims. The goal is for the judge's decision granting temporary release to be confirmed and made final.
The prosecutor said I had no job, but now everything I'm doing here at Liberté has been submitted. They've already put the bracelet on me, and I've started going out and reconnecting with my family.
The Court of Cassation's ruling is currently pending.
"It's like being out on the street, in a free place"
For José, Liberté represents a break from the logic of incarceration.
For me, Liberté is a calm place, an environment very different from the one we're used to living in inside prison. There's just no comparison between one thing and the other. Besides, it's like being out on the street, in an open, free place. You can walk around calmly, nobody says anything to you, nobody bothers you, you don't get into trouble, you don't argue with anyone. It's a very different place from the one we're used to living in inside prison.
At the end of the interview at the Radio Liberté studio, we said goodbye to José L, wishing him the best for this stage in which he can now go out and spend time with his family and friends. While the Court of Cassation makes its ruling, the goal is for the judge's decision to become final and for the process José carries out every day at Liberté to be fully recognized.
