Prisoners in Santa Rita use bicycles to generate energy.
An initiative by Judge José Henrique Mallmann, unprecedented in Brazil, benefits offenders and generates clean energy. Prisoners with good behavior participate in the project, which already has a list of more than 50 volunteers.
Mines 247 – In the prison of Santa Rita do Sapucaí, a city of 50 inhabitants in southern Minas Gerais, inmates maintain their physical fitness in an innovative way. By cycling every day, they generate energy that is stored in car batteries and used in the public building.
In addition to improving their health, inmates who participate in the activity receive a one-day reduction in their sentence for every three days worked. Six inmates are involved in the project and take turns working six hours a day.
The Secretary of State for Social Defense expects the project to be extended to other prison units, but there is no scheduled date for the expansion yet.
See the full article by the journalist. Renato Fonseca, from the newspaper Nowadays.
It seems like a simple physical activity to fill idle time during incarceration. But the adapted bicycle helps the environment, aids in resocialization, and accelerates the quest for freedom. At the Santa Rita do Sapucaí prison, in southern Minas Gerais, clean energy generation is powered by pedaling.
While the “sustainable prisoner” pedals, the effort is transformed into electricity. The system is simple. An alternator, installed in the pedal, stores the energy in a car battery. The energy is enough to light five lampposts in a city public square for 12 hours.
For their work, the inmates receive a reduction in their sentence: for every three days of cycling, one day is deducted from their sentence. Six prisoners participate in the project, divided into two groups. Each day, the teams take turns working, for a period of six hours.
The first requirement to join the program, which is unprecedented in Brazil, is to have good behavior. Inmates also undergo a medical evaluation, as the activity requires physical fitness. Following this, an agreement is reached between the prison administration and the local court.
About to complete 20 years of experience in criminal law, Judge José Henrique Mallmann is responsible for implementing the project at the Santa Rita do Sapucaí prison. “In the prison system, people end up isolated, alone. This is a way to bring a benefit to society, illuminating a public space using completely clean energy,” says the magistrate.
According to the judge, new proposals for the social reintegration of prisoners, mainly through work, are frequently discussed. The idea of the bicycle is based on projects developed in European countries. The cost of the project was not disclosed, but those involved assure that it would be low. The prison directors themselves reportedly adapted the bike after reading a prospectus online and assembled it.
According to the prison's director-general, Gilson Rafael Silva, two bicycles are currently in operation. The expectation is that at least ten more will be put into service. The energy generated would be enough to illuminate the 34 lampposts along a promenade of approximately three kilometers that runs through the currently illuminated square.
Gilson Silva says there is a list of 50 prisoners interested in participating in the initiative that generates clean energy. “It’s still a pilot project, but the acceptance has been very positive. They are interested and recognize the social importance of this work,” says the director-general.
Serving a sentence since 2010 for association with drug trafficking, 20-year-old Anderson Barroso da Silva is one of the participants. He, who once cycled from Santa Rita do Sapucaí to Aparecida do Norte (SP) – covering about 200 kilometers in 12 hours – says that his interest arose soon after the project was presented to the inmates.
“I’ve always ridden a bicycle, and this was another opportunity to reduce my sentence by offering something good in return,” says the prisoner, who will be eligible for release in two months. “Everyone in prison is interested in participating. The idea is very good,” adds Anderson Barroso, who also dedicates part of his time to handicrafts.
According to the State Secretariat for Social Defense (Seds), the initiative, due to its low cost and sustainability, should be extended to other units. However, no dates have been set.