From Punishment to Purpose: Occupational Therapy and Ethical Challenges in the Spanish Prison System

Daniel Emeric-Méaulle, Pablo A. Cantero-Garlito () and Ana A. Laborda-Soriano
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Daniel Emeric-Méaulle: Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28922 Madrid, Spain
Pablo A. Cantero-Garlito: Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Castilla—La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain
Ana A. Laborda-Soriano: Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain

Societies, 2025, vol. 15, issue 11, 1-12

Abstract: Occupational therapy (OT) advocates for rehabilitation and social reintegration within prison systems, yet its integration must consider the ethical and institutional constraints of incarceration. This paper critically examines the Spanish penitentiary system to explore the tensions between the punitive logic of imprisonment and the rehabilitative values of OT. The aim is to assess whether the current institutional structure enables socio-health professionals—particularly occupational therapists—to act coherently with their humanistic and ethical principles. A detailed documentary review was conducted using the Triangular Method of Ontologically Grounded Personalism (Sgreccia), which integrates biological/situational, anthropological, and ethical dimensions. Legislative documents, institutional reports, and academic literature were systematically analyzed to identify ethical challenges affecting professional practice within Spanish prisons. Findings reveal a paradoxical reality: Spain maintains one of the lowest crime rates in the EU yet exhibits a high incarceration rate, reflecting a punitive penal culture. The prison population, mostly adult males convicted of property and public health offenses, experiences significant occupational deprivation, mental illness, and social vulnerability. Ethical dilemmas include dual loyalty, loss of autonomy, and institutional priorities that undermine person-centered rehabilitation. The study underscores profound ethical tensions limiting OT practice in prisons. Addressing these challenges requires institutional and professional transformation toward more participatory and dignity-centered correctional models. Future research should incorporate empirical and qualitative approaches to design ethical frameworks that promote occupational justice and sustainable reintegration.

Keywords: occupational therapy; prison system; ethical challenges; rehabilitation; social reintegration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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