The Faces of Female Incarceration in Brazil: A Data-Based Perspective from SISDEPEN

Abstract

The present research aims to analyze the Brazilian prison system and the institutional practices that shape the conditions of women in deprivation of liberty. Secondary data from the National Penitentiary Department's Information System (SISDEPEN) were used, covering information related to female and mixed establishments in the years 2020, 2021, and 2022. The adopted methodology employs an approach that combines quantitative analysis with an integrative literature review. Variables include the sociodemographic profile of female inmates, the physical structure of prison units, and the availability of services like health assistance, access to education, and social support. The results indicate that the prison environment to which women are subjected has degrading conditions, with institutional practices and structures that, far from promoting social reintegration, deepen existing inequalities. In addition to neglecting specific needs, this system acts as a mechanism of social control, reflecting and reproducing dynamics of exclusion that permeate capitalist society. In light of this scenario, it is concluded that changes are necessary both in the physical infrastructure of establishments and in the provision and effectiveness of services aimed at incarcerated women. The materialization of public policies directed at this audience must be a priority, ensuring dignified conditions for serving sentences promoting the full resocialization of these women, and overcoming the structural inequalities that mark their trajectory.