Following the May initiative on the Ria Formosa island of Armona, when supervised prisoners from Olhão jail worked in the fresh air to clear-up rubbish and cut back vegetation, (HERE) the project is being expanded to the mainland.
In a project involving the local Council and Olhão’s prison service, inmates now are cleaning up rural areas of the municipality, especially in Moncarapacho’s countryside areas.
Luís Gomes, Commander of the Olhão firefighters, commented, "this is the sort of work that has been talked about for ages so it was necessary to take the first step. We've been working on the ground for a week and will continue until the end of August.”
The Commander said that, "for firefighters and civil protection, it is far more advantageous to focus on prevention. Knowing the areas of greatest risk, we are preventing fires and alerting the prison community to the dangers. The results have been very positive. "
The seven prisoners chosen for the gruelling work all are near the end of their sentences and now have a chance of feeling useful and more integrated in the community.
The Commander believes that this project can be a template for the future - a pilot scheme that started in Olhão and can be rolled out nationwide.
The prisoners are transported by the Bombeiros to their workplace, currently the Estrada do Cerro de S. Miguel, and then are supervised by a prison guard as they carry out their work.
This gives “these men an opportunity to feel valued while doing an important job for the community at large," said Gomes who said the team is breaking the back of the huge amount of clearance that needs to be done.
