En la cancha hay libertad | Volver a Empezar | Episodio 3 #fútbol #méxico #penitencia

Many inmates, some in their 20s, 30s, or 40s, experience what it means to trust someone outside their immediate family for the first time through football. The act of passing and receiving a ball becomes a fundamental lesson in mutual reliance and belonging, highlighting a profound gap in their earlier social development.

Inside, many have a team for the first time in their lives. It's not that they discovered football in prison; it's that in prison, they discovered what it means to trust someone who isn't family... Passing the ball is an act of trust, receiving it is too. If this basic mechanic of holding and being held is being learned in prison at 25, 30, 35, 40 years old, then the question isn't what this prison does well, but what we as a society did for decades so they found belonging here.

The Centro Varonil de Rehabilitación Psicosocial (Cebarepsi) specifically addresses the needs of men with psychosocial issues, known as 'inimputables,' who cannot be held criminally responsible due to their mental health. Their participation in the football tournament underscores that dignity and the opportunity for growth are not suspended by a diagnosis, offering psychiatric care, rehabilitation, and workshops.

There's a center in this tournament that doesn't easily fit the imaginary of what a prison is. It's called the Centro Varonil de Rehabilitación Psicosocial, or Cebarepsi... It opened in 1997 as a response to a specific need: to provide attention and treatment to men deprived of liberty with psychosocial issues... That they have a team in this tournament is a reminder that dignity is not suspended by diagnoses.

Inmates consistently describe feeling 'free' and 'not imprisoned' while playing football. The sport provides a temporary escape from the daily routine and stress of prison life, allowing them to connect with teammates, release tension, and redefine themselves as more than just their past mistakes. It offers a chance to build a new identity and purpose.

In those moments, I don't feel imprisoned, I don't feel locked up... when I'm playing football, I feel free, and that's something to be grateful for... It's a way to release stress, to have more familiarity with teammates, a stronger bond... we are a family, we are a team.

A former U17 World Cup player, now coaching one of the prison teams, emphasizes a psychological and human-centered approach over strict physical training. He focuses on understanding each player's emotional state, providing protection, and instilling hope, believing that these individuals are often 'more noble' than those outside prison. His goal is to change their mentality and help them find happiness and purpose.

I tell them, 'What's wrong?' No, and I try to ask, 'What do you need, what do you occupy?' To try to make them feel protected... Because sometimes people feel unprotected and alone... I tell them, 'Go forward, we all have a reason to change.'... These people are better than someone outside, they are more noble.