Inmates in the Zero Leisure Plan phase are manufacturing 500 desks daily for schools. These individuals are part of the workshops offered at the Santa Ana Penitentiary Industrial Complex.
Approximately 900 non-gang affiliated inmates in the trust phase, participating in the Zero Leisure Plan implemented by the General Directorate of Penitentiary Centers (DGCP), produce 500 desks daily. These desks are distributed to the 5,150 public schools nationwide.
Samuel Díaz, the director of the penitentiary, explained that they have organized three areas with 300 inmates each, working in staggered shifts to cover 24 hours a day. He added that the maximum production capacity is up to 1,000 school furniture pieces per day.
“We have desks for preschool, third cycle, and high school, which will be incorporated into each of the national schools,” he assured.
These workshops emphasize order, discipline, effort, and the attitude each inmate brings during their daily work shifts, aligning with the transformation of the prison system achieved under President Nayib Bukele’s government.
Samuel Díaz referred to the coordinated work among state institutions to achieve these benefits for the student community.
“This work is carried out and coordinated based on President Nayib Bukele’s directive, aimed at supporting every school in the country with desks,” he affirmed. This effort also includes the construction and remodeling of educational centers with inmate labor.
The production process for these furniture items was detailed by Director Díaz: “We manage work lines that range from cutting the tube, bending it, then welding each piece, and finally moving to the area where wood is added until the product is finished.”
All work carried out in these facilities is done under industrial safety measures. Each desk, table, and other furniture items are crafted from scratch with quality materials to ensure students’ comfort during classes.
Among the inmates, some possess skills in industrial painting, welding, and carpentry. Those lacking these skills undergo three months of theoretical and practical training.
In this way, penitentiary authorities also seek to have inmates in the trust phase contribute to beneficial projects for the society they will reintegrate into upon completing their sentences.
Once the construction process is complete, the furniture is organized by size and educational levels before being dispatched to institutes and schools.