Evaluation of public policies on re-education and reintegration in Spain: effectiveness, governance and compliance with the SDGs

This article evaluates the effectiveness of public policies on re-education and social reintegration in Spain from a legal and criminological perspective, incorporating a democratic governance approach and its link to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Using a mixed methodology that combines normative analysis and empirical data, the study assesses whether current policies comply with Article 25.2 of the Spanish Constitution. The findings show that alternative sanctions to imprisonment, such as suspended sentences and community service, achieve better outcomes in reducing recidivism than custodial penalties. Intervention programs, particularly in cases of gender-based violence, also demonstrate positive results. However, important limitations persist, including insufficient evaluation mechanisms and weak post-prison support. The study concludes that effective reintegration requires not only appropriate legal frameworks but also strong governance, institutional coordination, and alignment with international standards, especially SDG 16, in order to build a more just and inclusive penal system.