Perdonar también da libertad | Volver a Empezar | Episodio 4 #Penitencia #méxico #Fútbol

The 'Volver a Empezar' football tournament provides a structured environment for inmates to 'rearmarse por dentro' (rebuild themselves internally). This process involves confronting personal responsibility, acknowledging past pain, and seeking change, which is crucial for genuine rehabilitation beyond mere punishment.

When you see people reassembling themselves internally, seeking to change, seeking that second chance. Today they are doing it with a ball in motion, because nobody looks at themselves alone. You need someone to support you to dare to look inside. And what one finds when one can finally look is not always what that person or those around them expect. Sometimes it is responsibility and one must carry it completely. Sometimes it is also pain and one must name where that pain comes from. Almost always it is both things.

An inmate describes how seeking and, in his case, symbolically receiving forgiveness from a deceased relative, liberates him from the 'burden' of guilt. This emotional release is portrayed as essential for him to envision a future free from addiction and crime, highlighting forgiveness as a key component of personal rehabilitation.

The power of forgiveness... because that makes us free from all burdens. That is something I tell you, you take it off, it is something you carry. Not being able to forgive, that fills you with bitterness, it fills you with anger, it fills you with resentment. And when you accept and ask for, grant forgiveness, it's as if you didn't have that burden, you know? It's like walking light. When they buried him, he came to forgive me. He said, 'I forgive you.'

Inmates utilize the football platform not just for sport, but to challenge societal perceptions. They aim to demonstrate that they are not 'lost causes' but individuals with talent, discipline, and the capacity for positive contributions, thereby redefining their identity beyond the prison walls.

Simply also for them to see that we are not something lost within these walls. But that we also know how to do other things for good things. We have a lot of talent in all centers. Many play very well, and it's not just about the recognition of people or centers, but simply also for them to see that we are not something lost within these walls.

Johny, a guest born in prison, illustrates a profound journey from victimhood to purpose. He describes moving past the question 'why me?' (victimization) to understanding 'what for?' (purpose), by embracing his unique origin and using his story as a tool for empathy and connection with others.

For a long time it was hard for me to get rid of the 'why,' right? And only in the last couple of years have I been understanding the 'what for,' right? The resignification. What was hard for you? Well, the 'why,' the victimization in a way, the 'why me?'... I started to understand the 'what for.'

The host critically assesses Mexico's long-standing punitive approach to justice, arguing that decades of focusing solely on punishment have not reduced violence. This suggests a need for a paradigm shift towards understanding the underlying causes of crime as a more effective strategy for societal improvement.

And we have been decades with a punitive vision. We have been decades punishing as if that were the only solution for the construction of a better Mexico. Violence has not decreased, and this is not a personal opinion, these are the numbers, it is the result.