Working is an essential element to any social rehabilitation and reintegration program, which is the prison system goal. However, overcrowding and chronic lack of sources obstruct it. There is a working programs lack. Research and disseminating the few exiting experience is missing too.
The article shows the general lines of quantitative and qualitative evaluation made by the working program of Centro de Cumplimiento Penitenciario de Colina I near Santiago de Chile city. Evaluation is based in program users testimony ergo residents workers. Those that work in any private company that forms the labor market of that institution.
The dimensions set to address the program and the impact participation has in the actors were three: first dimension referring to the structure and functioning of the prison, second refers to the social aspects of internal and finally a third dimension about personal aspects relating to them.
The authors are graduates in sociology from Universidad Católica de Chile and their research was conducted during the first half of 2000 and is part of the workshop degree in public policy career in sociology of the university.
The report was published in the Journal of Criminology and Penitentiary Studies N ° 2 - May 2001 - Santiago, Chile, pages 101-138.