Local consequences of the prison policies in state of São Paulo, Brazil: a case study of the town of Itirapina

Abstract

The aim of this manuscript is to understand the changes in the prison policies of the State of Sao Paulo over the last three decades, based on a case study of the town of Itirapina, located in the central region of the state. The state prison policy prioritized decentralization of prisons along with mass incarceration. In the past 25 years, more than 100 new prisons were built in smaller, interior cities west of the capital while the prison population grew by five times. The town of Itirapina was affected by this policy of “prison decentralization”. In Itirapina, two prison facilities were installed at different times, twenty years apart, so the town of Itirapina presents peculiarities in the prison context of the entire country. Therefore it is possible to observe the existence of two prisons established with distinct models and philosophies. Specifically, it is possible to observe that those involved – either directly or indirectly – with prison’s daily life in Itirapina, have different perceptions and relationships with each of the prisons. This analysis points out the changes in Sao Paulo State incarceration policy directives, in line with the changes that occurred worldwide. The ideal of punishment as social rehabilitation of prisoners fell into decline, giving way to policies of accelerated imprisonment, and the expansion of the prison system into the countryside municipalities. The conclusion presents how the presence of prisons impacts social interactions in these smaller towns and reorders moral values.