The government banned student centers in federal prisons

The Ministry of Homeland Security, led by Patricia Bullrich, determined that student centers will no longer be able to operate in the  prisons of the Federal Penitentiary Service (SPF).

The decision, formalized through Resolution 372/2025, published in the Official Gazette, states that these groups are not legally recognized and that their existence distorts the purpose of social readaptation of inmates.

A measure aligned with the Government's penitentiary policy

This resolution is part of a policy of greater control and discipline in prisons promoted by the Government. In December 2024,  the Security Ministry had already taken a similar measure with Resolution 1346/2024, which required inmates to perform maintenance tasks in common areas without remuneration.

The new regulation expressly prohibits the operation of student centers in federal prisons and limits the presence of inmates in educational spaces to the strictly assigned hours for their classes.

Arguments for the prohibition

According to the official document, in the Federal Penitentiary Complex of the City of Buenos Aires (CPFCABA), the Federal Penitentiary Complex I (CPF I), and the Federal Penitentiary Complex IV (CPF IV), there are groups of inmates organized under the figure of student centers. However, the Security Ministry considers that their existence harms the structure of the penitentiary system.

The Ministry of Homeland Security argues that:

• The student centers are not legally recognized by the penitentiary administration.
• They hinder compliance with the rules of progressivity of the penitentiary system, affecting the process of social reintegration.
• They allow inmates to remain in educational spaces outside class hours, which hinders other mandatory activities, such as work and maintenance tasks.
• They create disruptions in penitentiary security, affecting the daily routine.

The resolution also mentions that student centers allow some inmates to advance in the progressivity of the penitentiary regime  without complying with the rules of reintegration treatment, which goes against Law No. 24,660.

A change in the prison structure

With this prohibition, the Ministry of Homeland Security seeks to restructure the administration of federal prisons, reinforcing discipline and surveillance in penitentiary establishments.  The measure adds to other recent decisions that aim to modify the approach of the Argentine penitentiary system, prioritizing a stricter and more controlled regime.

The Government maintains that this action doesn't imply the prohibition of access to education within prisons, but seeks to organize its operation to prevent improper use of educational spaces by inmates.