Social reintegration programs for former inmates in Brazil: is there a gender perspective?

Abstract

With the increasing number of women deprived of liberty worldwide, implementing specific strategies that should be applied to the support offered to these women are essential social measures. This study aims to analyze the supply of resources for the social reintegration of former inmates of the Brazilian prison system from a gender perspective. We propose to conduct a documentary analysis on governmental and non-governmental strategies aimed at this audience, with a gender perspective, through an analytical matrix for the 2020-2021 period. The results show several programs in the country aimed at the social reintegration of former prisoners; however, few have a gender perspective. The theme of social reintegration and the prison system was identified in 84 news items on government agencies’ websites, 20 of which were federal and 64 state, in 11 international organizations operating in Brazil, and 12 NGOs. Only six had a gender profile. The challenge for the Brazilian penitentiary system is to introduce the citizenship and human dignity approach in the prison system, including an approach to the gender issue.

Social reintegration of cisgender and transgender women post-incarceration in Brazil: policies and challenges

“…It is important to highlight that several initiatives have been implemented in the country to support the social reintegration of women after their release. However, these units have not been able to provide the necessary services for all women during their imprisonment (Andrade et al, 2015 ; Miranda et al, ( 2022 ). For offering proper social reintegration, it is necessary that we not only address the immediate challenges these women face but also the systemic and deep-rooted inequalities that persist in the penal system.…”