We're going to prison!
I was in the group that had the first mandatory field trip to the penitentiary. Spanish prisons are nothing like US prisons. There was a men’s block and a women’s block. The structure there is much more relaxed than in US prisons and there is a much stronger focus on rehabilitation as opposed to punishment. The maximum sentence anyone can receive is 25 years and it is reserved for truly heinous crimes, such as terrorist attacks. Additionally, once a prisoner has completed his or her sentence, s/he will be released into society with no annotations on the identification card indicated that they are a convicted criminal. Furthermore, there is no additional punishment for repeat offenders. The facilities were very nice. There were several workshops and the prisoners get to continue their education as well as sell any goods produced for income. The workout facilities were fantastic. I thought that the facility was nicer than the high school I went too.
