Ferrovial Services’ subsidiary is committed to the reintegration of women prisoners through employability and training programs.
As part of Ferrovial Services’ social commitments, Ferrovial Serviços and the charitable institution Santa Casa de Misericordia de Porto are implementing a work and training project to facilitate access to employment for the inmates of the Women’s Detention Centre of Santa Cruz do Bispo in Portugal. This initial programme allows participants (seven in total) to achieve new competencies in areas such as cleaning, maintenance and management of green spaces, as well as skills for working as a team or complying with a work schedule.
Ferrovial Serviços has been managing the Santa Cruz do Bispo prison for 11 years, as well as being responsible for maintenance of the facilities, care of green spaces and waste management. Luís Lourdes, head of the contract, explains that women who take part in the project “feel useful because they are part of a team, and this allows them to be active and productive”.
Commitment to employment opportunities
The training programme consists of a detailed selection process, where officials from Portugal’s General Directorate of Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP) analyse the profile, behaviour and willingness to work of future project beneficiaries. Once selected, inmates receive specific work training which allows them to subsequently perform certain jobs to a regular schedule, in addition to receiving financial compensation for services rendered.
This initiative arose as a result of a cooperation agreement between Ferrovial Serviços, the Santa Casa de Misericordia in Porto, and Portugal’s General Directorate of Reintegration and Prison Services, aimed at promoting educational and employment activities to improve self-esteem and the capacities and skills of marginalised individuals. In this respect, it should be pointed out that the Santa Cruz do Bispo women’s prison has an above-average level of occupational employment (around 85% compared to 50%).
