Bill 373.

Summary.

The bill would create the Penitentiary Education Program (Programa Educativo Penitenciario, PEP) for people held in correctional facilities across Panama. Participation would be available to persons awaiting trial and compulsory for convicted persons who have not completed their schooling. The first phase covers primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education under the Ministry of Education (Ministerio de Educación). The second covers university technical programs, bachelor’s degrees, and postgraduate programs administered by the University of Panama (Universidad de Panamá). The Ministry of Government (Ministerio de Gobierno) could enter into agreements with public or private higher education institutions to expand the available programs.

People who do not participate successfully in the first phase would be ineligible for other rehabilitation activities within the facility and could not be considered for special leave, parole, or sentence reduction. Participation in PEP would generally be free, although the University of Panama could set tuition for specialization programs in line with a participant’s socioeconomic circumstances. Applicants would submit school transcripts or grade records for placement. When those records are unavailable, the Ministry of Education would administer a placement test. The Electoral Tribunal (Tribunal Electoral) would provide digital means to verify the identity of a person whose judicial file lacks an identity document. Foreign participants could enroll using the document recorded when they entered the prison system and taking the placement test.

Certificates, diplomas, and other official academic documents could not state that studies took place during imprisonment or in a correctional facility. Each facility would keep confidential student files to supply certificates, report cards, and academic transcripts requested by prison authorities, the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Ministerio Público), or sentence enforcement judges, with administrative staff to handle those requests. The Ministry of Education and the University of Panama would keep attendance records for their respective phases and make them available to authorities seeking verification. Prison security staff could also record which participants leave their housing areas to attend educational activities.

PEP could be delivered in person or through a blended format, provided the content and competencies are the same; virtual education would be another option. A participant who earns a qualification in the professional education phase would have any ancillary penalty disqualifying them from public office reduced by half. The curriculum would match that offered to the general population and, during breaks and holidays, would add content on values, family relationships, interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, and leadership. The Ministry of Education would regulate the compulsory phase through its youth and adult education program. The University of Panama would regulate the professional phase through its Vice Rectorate for Extension (Vicerrectoría de Extensión).

The bill amends Article 58 of the Criminal Code (Código Penal). After an assessment by the Penitentiary Technical Board (Junta Técnica Penitenciaria), a sentence enforcement judge would credit one day of imprisonment for every two days of work, study, or technical training, subject to hourly calculation rules. Credit for studying or teaching in PEP would require an educational certificate. Sundays and public holidays would generally be excluded, with specified exceptions for work within the facility. The bill would take effect the day after promulgation. Its provisions concern the Ministry of Government, prison and judicial authorities, educational institutions, and people deprived of liberty.