The Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), in coordination with the Decentralized Administrative Body for Prevention and Social Reintegration (PRS), the Ministry of Culture, and the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL), announced the winners of the 12th National Competition “La Voz Penitenciaria” (The Penitentiary Voice) on October 8, 2025.
A total of 978 inmates from 14 Federal Social Reintegration Centers and 47 state penitentiaries across 29 states took part, marking the highest number of participants to date and one of the most widely attended prison music contests in the national penitentiary system.
PRS Director Jacobo Rodríguez emphasized the value of such initiatives in promoting rehabilitation through art and culture. “Music, as we have seen today, has the power to open horizons of inner freedom even within confinement. Art is a powerful tool to support the process of social reintegration,” Rodríguez said.
The panel of judges, composed of specialists from INBAL’s National Coordination of Music and Opera, evaluated performances on voice, stage presence, intonation, musicality, and degree of difficulty.
In the solo category, which drew 616 participants (553 men and 63 women), first place went to a contestant from the Acapulco Social Prevention Center in Guerrero. Second place was awarded to a participant from Federal Social Reintegration Center No. 15 in Chiapas, while third place went to an inmate from Federal Social Reintegration Center No. 18 in Coahuila.
In the group category, which included 362 participants (298 men and 64 women), first place was claimed by contestants from Federal Social Reintegration Center No. 18 in Coahuila. Second place went to the Eastern Men’s Preventive Prison in Mexico City, and third place was earned by the Chalco Penitentiary and Social Reintegration Center in the State of Mexico.
Through events like this, the Mexican government reaffirms its commitment to a comprehensive prison policy that recognizes culture and art as essential to personal transformation, creative expression, and the creation of new opportunities for incarcerated individuals.
