At the mention of prisons, iron bars, high fences, thick guards armed with weapons, and the crying of children and parents who suffer moments of separation.

This view may seem a reality in most prisons in the world, but in the Spanish prison “Aranjuez” all these logical things disappear, as it is one of the most different prisons around the world because it is the only one with cells for families.

Aranjuez prison includes a clinic, a nursery and a hall for 246 inmates (communication sites)

Less suffering

In 1996, Spain's Secretary of State for Punitive Institutions Paz Fernández Felgueroso laid the foundation stone for the world's first family prison in which couples can serve out their sentences together.

Paz's vision for creating and designing a prison in this way goes back to ensuring that prisoners suffer less from the family turmoil that is common among traditional prisoners, according to Elpais.

The prison, located in the municipality of Aranjuez, 40 kilometers south of Madrid, contains 36 cell units for families, which include children under three years of age.

Disney characters behind bars

Victor Manuel Lozano spends his days like most two-year-olds.

He goes to kindergarten, paints and rides a bicycle.

Victor sleeps on his own bed full of dolls and toys next to his parents' bed, and the walls of the room are decorated with famous Disney characters, but it all happens inside the prison.

In the "Future Madrid VI" prison, which is euphemistically called Aranjuez, after the area where it is located, there are special cells for families, where spouses convicted of crimes can stay in one cell with their children under 3 years old, and when the child reaches 3 years he must leave Imprisonment and receiving care from his relatives unless his parents can reduce the sentence based on good behavior, or he is placed in a social services center, according to the Tucson website.

Terms for Franchise

In the only Aranjuez prison that has a family unit besides the traditional units, there are harsh conditions that only 18 spouses have met to enjoy this "privilege" and move to the family cell, out of a total of 1,697 inmates in the center residing in the ordinary cells.

Jose Luis Pelletiero, director of this correctional center, notes in a report published by the "ABC" website, that there are studies being conducted to move to the family unit and stay in it, where the convicted couple make two or three hours of contact during the weekends with Officials, and follow-up their behavior for a period of 3 months.

If things go well without suspicion of violence, they are transferred to a family cell where they spend 24 hours together, stressing that no inmate who has committed sexual crimes or child abuse in his history can ever move to live in these family cells.

Parental rehabilitation and childhood behind bars

Young Victor Manuel spends most of the time with his parents, and this reinforces the family ties, the basic idea behind the creation of this prison.

Inmates are also seeking rehabilitation to learn parenting skills.

However, no one - not even incarcerated parents themselves - thinks that it is an ideal situation for a child to spend his early years behind bars.

After a long day playing with the children of the other inmates in the prison yard, Manuel is locked in a cell with his parents.

Sometimes, he stands outside the cell crying because he doesn't want to go back behind bars.

"For him, this is the saddest part of the day," said Carmen Garcia, Victor's mother.

Garcia was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the murder of her boyfriend.

She met her husband, Victor Lozano, in prison, and they married behind bars and had a son, Victor Manuel.

Carmen confirms in a report on the Taipeitimes website that having her child and husband with her makes her very happy, and adds, "But this is not the best place to raise children, they are somewhat imprisoned."

To face life outside prison

Fathers work inside the prison, earn salaries of which they spend little and save the rest so that they can face life abroad.

The prison pays for clothes, baby formula, diapers, and visits to the pediatrician twice a week, according to Tucson.

There are many jobs inside Aranjuez prison, ranging from tailoring and carpentry and working in the prison oven to selling at prison fairs.

The working hours vary, some are satisfied with four hours, while others complete eight hours a day, and the wage increases according to the increase in the number of working hours.

Some earn about 450 euros a month, according to "ABC".