Since the first days of Christmas, some of the buses in the Spanish cities of Bilbao, San Sebastian, Basauri or Zaballa, as well as bus shelters, display posters with the motto “Truly free” (Benetan Aske in basque), quoting the words of Jesus in John 8:36.

It is a campaign launched by the Evangelical Council of the Basque Country (CEPV) and the Federation of Evangelical Religious Entities of Spain (Ferede) that seeks to make evangelical religious assistance in prisons more visible.

The initiative is the result of an agreement signed between Ferede and the Basque government, and aims to promote religious freedom and the right to religious assistance for prisoners by other faiths apart from Roman Catholicism. The campaign is also on social media.

“We want to eliminate prejudices”

The coordinator of Evangelical Religious Assistance in the Basque Country, Unai Arretxe, explained to Spanish news website Actualidad Evangélica, that this campaign aims to “eliminate prejudices and try to promote an open mentality regarding the integral needs of the person deprived of liberty”.

With evangelical religious assistance “we want to bring a glimpse of hope, which goes far beyond the religious aspect, and offers people who are currently incarcerated hope and a fresh look at the future”, added Arretxe.

1,577 people in Basque prisons

There are currently 1,577 people in the prisons in the Basque Country, 425 of them in semi-liberty.

Two years ago there was a change in the management of the facilities, when the Basque government took over the responsibility, which until then had been held by the central government.

This change has allowed more people to access the semi-liberty regime, as the regional government defends a model based on social reintegration.

In this new setting, evangelical religious assistance has also boosted, and there are now 24 evangelical chaplains ministering in the prisons of the region.

“It is possible to be inside a prison but to be truly free”

“We are there to listen, to talk, to accompany, and above all, to remember that with God there is always a second chance. We have all made mistakes, we all need help. The gospel of Jesus Christ offers us all forgiveness, restoration and a new life”, points out Arretxe.

“We believe in the restoration of people, because we have seen God transform thousands of lives. The entire Bible is full of references to the situation of prisoners; God is watching over them, giving them an opportunity to seek Him and find true freedom”, he adds.

According to the coordinator of the evangelical religious assistance, the coincidence of the campaign with Christmas “seems appropriate to us, because these days are very difficult for those who are far from their families. At Christmas we remember the name Emmanuel, which means God with us”.

“It is not the same to be out of prison as to be free, just as it is possible to be inside a prison but to be truly free”, concludes Arretxe.