BETWEEN BARS AND THEORIES: MODERN SOCIOLOGY AND THE BRAZILIAN PRISON SYSTEM

Abstract

This book presents a critical analysis of the Brazilian prison system through the lens of modern sociological concepts. The prison is examined as an institution that exercises selective social control, reproducing historical and structural inequalities. Drawing on theorists such as Foucault, Bauman, Wacquant, and Beccaria, the study explores how incarceration functions not only as a space of punishment but also as a mechanism of exclusion and marginalization. The Brazilian prison population, predominantly composed of young, poor, and Black individuals, highlights the penal selectivity and structural racism. Furthermore, the article investigates the failure of the rehabilitative function of punishment, the disciplinary logic within prison institutions, and the complex power dynamics involving criminal factions, state agents, and institutional precariousness. The analysis reveals that the prison system serves to maintain the existing social order rather than rehabilitate individuals. Finally, the article advocates for profound reforms, emphasizing effective public policies, alternative sentencing, and an interdisciplinary approach to break away from the dominant punitive paradigm.