The article illustrates how - following the transfer of powers from the Spanish State to the Government of Catalunya in 1982 - a new prison policy was initiated, rooted in the belief that "prison policy" must also be a "social policy". The author describes the Social Education Framework Programme and, more specifically, the place of the Arts Workshops, established in 1985: organisation, management, funding streams, with a particular emphasis on their relationship with the community through the exhibition and, in some cases, the sale of their products. Notwithstanding the current financial constraints, arts workshops have maintained an excellent track record over the years, being recognised as a key vehicle of educational intervention and social reintegration.