An agreement between the Brazilian government and local authorities in the 12 cities hosting World Cup games stipulates that at least 5% of the workers at stadium sites must be prisoners. The inmates are selected after a thorough evaluation process by a group of social workers, lawyers and psychologists.
Belo Horizonte’s Mineirao stadium counts 16 local inmates amongst the 1,500 workers redeveloping the 67,000-seat venue in time for its late 2012 deadline. For three days of work, each inmate earns one day off his sentence. Prisoners are also paid around US$320 a month, slightly above the minimum wage.
“My life has changed direction,” Thiago Ferreira, a 26-year-old convicted drug trafficker, told AFP. “For us who are in the semi-open prison regime, this is a great opportunity that we must seize. Because a life of crime has only two possible outcomes: the wheelchair or six-feet under.”
Source: sportbusiness.com
