Social reintegration in Ecuador: infranational governance, inequality, and state capacity

Abstract

This article analyzes how infranational state capacities and decentralization frameworks shape the effectiveness of post-penitentiary social reintegration policies implemented by Decentralized Autonomous Governments in Ecuador, through comparison with Colombia, Peru, and Chile. The study adopts a mixed, descriptive-analytical, and comparative approach based on documentary analysis of legal frameworks and public policies, semi-structured interviews with institutional actors, and structured surveys supported by descriptive quantitative evidence. The findings show that, although local initiatives in employment, training, psycho-social support, and community inclusion do exist, their scope and continuity depend heavily on financial resources, inter-institutional coordination, and political commitment. As a result, significant territorial asymmetries persist and limit the overall effectiveness of reintegration policies. The article concludes that social reintegration in decentralized contexts should be understood as a field of territorial social policy shaped by tensions between normative centralism and limited local autonomy, with direct implications for recidivism reduction, social inclusion, and the construction of citizenship under conditions of structural inequality.