Dominican Republic launches first prison-based reforestation camp

San Juan de la Maguana, D.R.- The Dominican Republic has launched its first Model Environmental Camp for prisoner rehabilitation and reforestation, located at the Sabaneta Dam in San Juan de la Maguana. This initiative aims to combine prison reform with environmental conservation, focusing on the rehabilitation of inmates through active participation in the reforestation of the San Juan River basin.

The camp, a joint effort by multiple government agencies and environmental organizations, will provide permanent housing for 70 individuals and serve as a logistical base for managing nurseries and temporary work brigades. Inmates will rotate weekly to carry out tasks including tree planting, watershed protection, and the preservation of riverbanks, contributing to both environmental sustainability and social reintegration.

This initiative is led by the National Office for Penitentiary Reform Support (ONAPREP) in coordination with EGEHID, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Defense, and Economic Dining Halls of the Dominican State. It follows the success of a pilot program launched in October 2024 in the Nizao River basin, which involved 120 inmates.

Praised as an unprecedented regional model, the camp positions the Dominican Republic as the first country in the region to implement a permanent system that unites prisoner rehabilitation with ecosystem restoration, setting a precedent for criminal justice and environmental policy alike.