New horizons in prison

Bucaramanga

About impressive personalities, impressions from a Colombian prison, football, fitness and a future without drugs. Report about my experiences with the organisation "Nuevos Horizontes" in the Modelo prison in Bucaramanga.

Good mood after a sports session with the men of the foundation "New Horizons" in the Modelo prison.

Already at the first meeting we understood each other well and greeted each other with a hug - Heriberto Flórez Moreno is a strong and impressive personality, but also full of heart. And it was precisely this warmth and charity that Heriberto put on his agenda 23 years ago, when he founded the foundation "Nuevos Horizontes". The NGO has dedicated itself to nothing less than helping drug addicted prisoners out of their addiction.

I only met Heriberto on Friday and talked to him about his work; on Monday I am already in front of 500 inmates. It is the largest ward in the Modelo prison in Bucaramanga, Colombia. In reality, the cellblock is designed for 200 inmates, the missing sleeping places are compensated with hammocks, even the whole corridor is covered with mattresses. However, there seems to be a calm atmosphere here, the inmates greet me in a friendly manner. The fact that Heriberto is standing next to me gives me a sense of security; it is impressive how well regarded he is among the inmates. But the ward is only part of the brief general tour of the prison, which at least has a large football pitch and a large recreation room for the inmates (I imagined the conditions to be much worse).

An impressive person: I immediately feel safe with Heriberto. He founded the foundation "New Horizons" 23 years ago and has already helped hundreds of prisoners to get out of drug addiction.

The facilities of the New Horizons Foundation, on the other hand, almost resemble those of a hotel. The 70 bunk beds (a total of 140 beds) are neatly arranged and a television hangs on the wall of the common room. There is also a small gymnasium, a library and an internet café, which some residents use for distance learning university studies. Although the building is integrated into the prison, it is completely isolated from the general wards. The inmates sleep, eat and live here without being able to interact with inmates in neighbouring wards. This prevents drugs from entering the foundation's premises. Currently 140 residents live here; anyone who wants to seriously work on their drug addiction can apply for admission, regardless of the crime committed.

Main wing of the Modelo de Bucarmanga prison. Designed for 200 people, it currently houses more than 500 inmates.

And there I am, 140 men lined up in front of me who are supposed to have committed all sorts of crimes. I can hardly imagine it at this meeting. They greet me with a song and dance ceremony that gives me goose bumps. I am introduced to the work of the foundation, the inmates tell their stories and experiences, there is a question and answer session, the inmates' curiosity about my country of origin is as great as their dismay that I prefer Bad Bunny to Karol-G and Malumo (the reggaeton artist "Bad Bunny" is from Puerto Rico, the other two from Colombia).

The foundation "Nuevos Horizontes" consists mainly of psychologists and sports coaches. In daily sessions, the NGO wants to show the inmates new perspectives for their lives. The aim is not only to put an end to drug addiction, but above all to successfully reintegrate them into society after the end of their sentence. The library and the computer room, among other things, were created precisely to facilitate this reintegration into the world of work. The inmates continue their education with countless books and participate in online modules at renowned universities. Drug abstinence is accompanied only by plenty of drinking water, daily sport and lots of dancing and music, without medical interventions or substitute products.

With Heriberto, I organise a weekly training session with the "Chicos": no weights, half an hour of full-body strength training. I am impressed by the gratitude and willpower during the workouts. Instead of a towel to sweat, we take off our T-shirts, at the latest now I feel like one of them. After training, we play football together. Despite my many years of experience in football, I find it difficult to keep up with them. We talk about my origins and theirs, about sport and football, about the heat, about different places in Colombia, about music and, in fact, about everything but prisons and crime. They let me know that in the sports session they feel as if they were "in the street". But I also forget everything that surrounds me in the afternoons with them. I would never have thought that I would discover my personal feelings of freedom precisely in prison.

My contribution: I train with the boys once a week on sports afternoons. We train the whole body without aids and at the end we play football.

The great motivation of the inmates is undoubtedly based on great willpower, but also on an absolute zero tolerance towards violence and drugs, as Heriberto explains to me. If drugs are found on an inmate, he has to leave the institution immediately and return to the general wing. The same applies to physical violence, but also to verbal violence. Even swearing can lead to expulsion, which none of the residents want to risk; conditions here are much more pleasant than in the overcrowded wings of the general ward.

Heriberto doesn't have to explain to me that cooperation works incredibly well. I experience for myself what I would never have expected. Inmates who motivate each other, who dance together and philosophise about music and football, and who all work together to have new, drug-free prospects for the future after prison.

One of them. Being a volunteer for New Horizons is one of the most impressive experiences I have ever had.