Sistema Nacional de Educación para entornos penitenciarios en Nicaragua: bases políticas, ontológicas y educativas

Education within prisons constitutes a pedagogical endeavor grounded in human rights and subject to contextual conditions. In Latin America, there is insufficient academic coverage and a lack of government policies promoting education in prisons, as a punitive approach prevails over an educational one. In Nicaragua, the educational pathway from literacy to university is guaranteed, and although an epistemological framework exists to support its implementation within the prison system, theoretical discussions regarding its principles still warrant greater levels of reflection, in-depth analysis, and systematization. Therefore, this study represents a theoretical contribution to a field that has been largely overlooked by the national academic community and sheds light on the educational situation of a socially stigmatized group. The objective of this article is to identify how the National Education System for prison settings operates from its political, ontological, and educational foundations. From a philosophical perspective, this is a qualitative study; in terms of depth, it is descriptive. The data collection techniques used were documentary research and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. The main findings indicate that education in prison aims at the comprehensive development of inmates to facilitate their social reintegration. It is concluded that the political basis is framed within a governmental approach aimed at eradicating poverty and restoring rights; its ontological foundation is grounded in the human rights paradigm; and its educational basis seeks academic continuity, the acquisition of life skills, and self-employment.