Mulheres e cárcere: reflexões sobre o conjunto penal feminino em Salvador-Bahia

Abstract

Inside the line of the search on Family and Society, this dissertation is about the complex bond between women and prison. The intention is to investigate public policies for Human Rights and, by extension, for the fundamental and social rights to promote better living conditions and living-together conditions for the prisoners and their children. The increase of the female population in prison up discussions on gender issues, vulnerabilities and ethics. One can notice the androcentric structure of prisons created for and thought by men. The confinement of those idealized by society as being docile and meek causes a dilemma, since their idealized role of taking care of the household chores rests unfulfilled. Most of them lose touch with family members and friends because of geographical distance and prejudice. Another major challenge for the Brazilian prison system is the increasing number of pregnant women in prison. Prisons are not prepared for the pregnancy and the staying of the baby while breast-feeding. The lack of protection by the State brings up the paradox of the principle of universality, guaranteed to "everyone", when in fact only those who own capital and actively participate in the global market are assisted. To find out what the impacts of institutional gender violence caused in imprisoned women, there was a case study in Conjunto Penal Feminino, located in Salvador, Bahia. The methodological approach used was the qualitative one, which provided a better understanding of the facts and social processes detected through semi structured interviews with twelve female inmates. There was a review of classic and contemporary references such as: Aristotle, Badinter, Beccaria, Bobbio, Chodorow, Harvey, Kurz, Perrot, Plato, Reale and others. The material collected in the field, which use had been previously authorized by the prison institution and consented to by the group of participants, was confronted with the current legislation and the critical theory. Partial results show that: as the moment of separation will certainly occur because of the imprisonment, the State becomes fully responsible for the children, in addition to keeping affection and sustaining family ties. It requires recognition of the reproductive rights, of the right to maternity and the (re)construction of family ties in order to (re)integrate them into society.