Evangelization transforms Argentinian prisons: an unprecedented dynamic of reintegration and pacification
Since the early 2010s, Argentinian penal establishments, notably in Rosario, Buenos Aires and Villa Urquiza, have experienced a profound change thanks to the development of evangelical communities among the prisoners. This movement, supported by church networks like Redil of Cristo, Puerta del Cielo, Bethel de Santa Lucía and Maison de Dieu, has accelerated since 2017: in August 2025, a new church was for example inaugurated in the Prison of Villa Urquiza, the fruit of the project advocating spirituality as fundamental support for social reintegration.
The penitentiary authorities, faced with violence and overcrowding, have gradually opened their doors to structured collaborations with Evangelical Pastors and Chaplains. Concretely, these partnerships have enabled the creation of “evangelical pavilions”, spaces where discipline is based on prayer, biblical formation, abandonment of addictions and irreproachable conduct. Converted detainees, such as Jorge Anguilante – sentenced to 12 years for homicide in 2014 – sometimes become pastors in the establishment, animate regular cults, and serve as an example for their peers.
The effect of these initiatives is tangible: more than 40% of prisoners in the province of Santa Fe live today in these evangelical units. Official reports note a significant drop in violence, better cohabitation and unpublished prospects for reintegration. Apart from cults, partner churches organize educational, professional and family projects; They also accompany the ex-prisoners in their return to society.
The expansion of this model, recognized by the Christian alliance of the evangelical churches of Argentina (ACIERA), is based on close cooperation between the prison administration and religious associations. The displayed objective: to transform the social look at the prison world and make prison a space of restoration, rather than simple sanction.
Even if the challenge of the conditions of detention remains topical – overcrowding, unsanitary conditions -, the Argentinian example now attracts international attention. It highlights the potential of the religious factor as an actor of pacification, psychological support and construction of new life paths for thousands of prisoners.
