Estratégias de sobrevivência e de convivência nas prisões do Rio de Janeiro

This study shows various aspects of the Penitentiary System of Rio de Janeiro State. It develops a comparative analysis with other historical moments of the penitentiary institution, this analysis intends to show its continuity over time. Highlights the formation of prisoner’s culture and the way this culture has spread over the whole population of prisoners and even has dispersed over the community living outside prisons. The research develops the role of the prisoners’ family in their lives, the ways the family provide for them and highlights the problems faced by the families of prisoners in providing emotional support for them. The study also brings into light the social indifference towards the citizenship and the constitutional rights of the prisoners. The study delineates the historical development of two prisons in which arise issues of the formation of the prisoner and his imprisonment. Deals with concepts of memory and presents two prisoners who stand out as the elite that organizes the prisoners to advocate rights of decent and non violent lives in the penitentiary system. It concludes presenting issues related to the conviviality of groups of prisoners that are very different among themselves, the political prisoners and the regular convicts.