Female prison reality: facing inmates’ problems and possibilities of social reinsertion

Abstract

The female detention happens mainly due to the drug trade. Considering the growing prison population in Brazil, the system ineffi ciency and the shortage of previous studies, this work investigates the problems faced by female inmates in a prison in the interior of Pernambuco, in addition to providing a refl ection on drug traffi cking and its consequences for the supplier and the user. Two encounters were performed including interactive activities as group dynamic experiences, semi-structured interviews and video presentations on the issue of traffi cking. The inmates’ reports were grouped into: Everyday prison; Motherhood and family relationships; Love experiences; Expectations for the future; and The life of a drug user. The intervention allowed the inmates expression and refl ection about harmful aspects of drug traffi cking and the emergence of new alternatives for income generation.