Joaquín Juan Albalate
El debate sobre las medidas alternativas a la prisión y, en particular, sobre el trabajo en beneficio de la comunidad, ha adquirido un renovado interés durante los últimos años, a raíz del progresivo aumento de la población reclusa española. Partiendo de las diversas teorías que existen sobre la pena, se pretende mostrar que, tras más de diez años de haberse aprobado el Código penal vigente, esa medida, aunque ha experimentado una notable expansión recientemente, sigue sin alcanzar su máximo desarrollo, a pesar de los efectos positivos ya demostrados en otros países de nuestro entorno, en cuanto a su mayor eficacia en la reinserción social de las personas encausadas y, por consiguiente, en la disminución de la densidad carcelaria.
As a result of the progressive increase of the imprisoned population in Spain, the debate about alternative measures to prison and, particularly, about the one which proposes working in benefit of community services, has acquired a renewed interest during the last years. Starting from the existing theories about the penalty, the purpose is to show that after more than ten years of the present Penal code approval, although having lately experienced an outstanding expansion, such measure has not yet reached its maximum development. And that in spite of the positive effects already demonstrated in other different countries of our environment in regard to its major efficacy in the social reinsertion of the prosecuted people and, consequently, in the diminution of the prison occupancy density.