OREANDA-NEWS. February 11, 2011. Instituto Minas pela Paz granted Automotiva Usiminas a certificate recognizing its important participation in the Returning Project. Resulting from a partnership among the state government, Instituto Minas Pela Paz and private companies, the Project offers job opportunities to prison inmates and former inmates with the objective of supporting their social reintegration.

And this is a long-lasting partnership. Usiminas was one of the founders of Instituto Minas Pela Paz and a pioneer in the Project development and implementation by hiring former inmates through the Inmate Protection and Assistance Associations (APACs). Automotiva Usiminas adopted the idea and took it one step forward. The company equipped one of the APAC sheds in Pouso Alegre to allow 20 inmates to work in the reutilization of packaging materials used by Automotiva Usiminas’ industrial unit.

Luiz Flavio Sapori, executive secretary with Instituto Minas pela Paz, and Associate Justice Jane Silva, coordinator of the Novos Rumos Project implemented by the Court of Justice of Minas Gerais, visited Automotiva Usiminas last Wednesday afternoon. During a ceremony that gathered together several leaders of Automotiva Usiminas and guests, a honor plaque was handed over to Usiminas CEO, Wilson Brumer, and Vanderlei Schiller, Human Resources and Organizational Development vice president as a recognition for the outstanding work the company has been carrying out along with Pouso Alegre’s APAC.

According to Luis Flavio Sapori, the partnership between Automotiva Usiminas and APAC in Pouso Alegre is a pioneering initiative in both Minas Gerais and Brazil. “The company is going far beyond its constitutional duty of actively participating in the society development. This is a perfect example of how allying the economic interest of a private company and the resocialization process in the prison system”, he pointed out.

In addition to the project with APAC, the company has hired three former inmates to work at the Pouso Alegre plant. Seven more hires are in the plans for this year.