"In all, four penitentiaries in Panama offer the same sort of social reinsertion work program, which is backed by the United Nations and which shaves time off sentences."&Lithium Battery Pole Saw Factory39;Model' prisonersThe IntegrArte brand has been registered by the government, but a couple more steps are needed before it enters the market. But I never had the financial or family backing," she said.So far, the brand has brought out one collection, called Paraiso Etnico (Ethnic Paradise) which combines styles from the 1970s and 1980s with traditional handiwork typical to Panama. "I think when I get out of here that will be my goal.Some of them used to be among the more rebellious, "climbing on roofs and inciting strikes," explained the prison's director, Lizeth Berrocal.Now, they've become "model" prisoners, focusing on fashion in the hopes of launching catwalk careers once they get released."I love making clothes because it's a way for me to feel totally normal," said a Colombian inmate, Claudia Luna, although she added that in prison "we lack a lot of material and work basically with our fingers, with whatever we have around.Thomas spends eight hours a day in the sewing room, mostly concentrating on embroidery."This is an opportunity for someone locked up to show that they can become different, they can change and become better," said one of them, Teresa Santamaria, sporting an embroidered white top.A way to feel 'normal'Twenty-five women work for IntegrArte in the prison, while another 50 receive sewing lessons."Making clothes frees you," she added."
Locked away, the prisoners cannot hire models to try on their garb, so they do their own runway shows.Panama City: In a small room in a prison on the outskirts of Panama City, Kathia Thomas carefully presses the screen on a digital sewing machine to choose the colors and embroidery on her next item of clothing. Some 100 inmates take part.In the meantime, several ministers -- including De Saint Malo -- have been wearing its clothes, including those made by Luna, who is also locked up for drug trafficking.In the Cecilia Orillac de Chiari facility, women produce clothes, hats, necklaces and purses.They also believed that giving themselves over to fashion allowed them to escape, for periods at a time, from the tough reality of living behind bars.Surrounded by other women, and by threads, patterns and a few religious images, Thomas, a 43-year-old mother of five children, is preparing the next collection behind bars.The Cecilia Orillac de Chiari penitentiary where she is kept holds 800 female prisoners, living in houses that # feature kitchens, laundries, washrooms and dormitories."Modeling was always my dream.Hania Fonseca, the manager of IntegrArte, said: "Each item that we put out carries with it the history of the person who made it.".Another inmate, Stefani Edwards, sashayed down the improvised runway to show off a colorful Afro-Caribbean dress.
