OATPFE

The Organismo Autónomo Trabajo Penitenciario y Formación para el Empleo (TPFE) [Autonomous Institution of Penitentiary Work and Vocational Training (PWVT), associated with the Ministry of the Interior through the General Secretary of Penitentiary Institutions, assumes its denomination by virtue of what is regulated in the third final provision of the Royal Decree 1599/2004, of July 2, whereby the basic structure of the Ministry of the Interior was implemented.

At present, the Autonomous Institution is regulated by the Royal Decree 868/2005, of July 15, and it is entrusted with the undertaking of a series of tasks aimed at placing the necessary resources for the improvement of their personal and occupational development at the disposal of the prisoners of the Penitentiary Centres, and thus facilitating their integration into society once they have completed their sentences that have been imposed on them by the judges. To do this, the Organismo Autónomo Trabajo Penitenciario y Formación para el Empleo is established with its own legal personality, as corresponds to an institution of this nature.

Its establishment as an autonomous institution, with a clear commercial vocation, converts it into a flexible and versatile instrument in the service of the goals of the Penitentiary Policy in the sphere of the activity that is entrusted to it.
Specifically, the functions contained in its articles of association are:

• The installation, enlargement, transformation, preservation and improvement of the penitentiary workshops, farms and agricultural operations, or premises and facilities necessary for the purposes of the organisms.
• The undertaking of industrial, commercial or analogous activities and, in general, such operations as are related to penitentiary work.
• Training for employment of the interns of penitentiary centres, including the promotion and coordination of such lines of activity that are carried on from the Penitentiary Authority regarding preparation for guidance and/or accompaniment for vocational integration.
• The promotion of relations with institutions and bodies that facilitate compliance with the institution's purposes.

Thus, the Organismo Autónomo Trabajo Penitenciario y Formación para el Empleo has been exclusively undertaking the tasks of promoting vocational training for prisoners, for which it has made use of four instruments.

• The vocational training courses from the Professional Integration and Training Plan of the INEM [State Employment Service].
• The occupational courses financed from the European Social Fund.
• The orientation courses for vocational integration from the European Social Fund.
• Medium level training cycle carried out by means of agreements with different Autonomous Regions in order to make progress in setting up the professional training lines regulated, as well as recognition of the professional skills acquired by the prisoners.