THE RESOCIALIZATION OF FORMER INMATES AND THEIR REINTEGRATION INTO SOCIETY

Abstract

This article analyzes the legal, institutional, and social obstacles to the reintegration of people released from the Brazilian prison system and examines the responses provided by legal instruments and public policies. It adopts a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive approach based on a bibliographic and documentary review of legislation, criminal law and criminology scholarship, National Council of Justice regulations, and institutional reports. The study addresses the purposes of punishment, the foundations of social reintegration, stigma, barriers to employment, and the continuity of assistance after release. The findings identify legal guarantees and initiatives involving support, training, and referrals to services, while showing that legal provisions alone do not establish implementation or effectiveness. Comparing recidivism studies requires caution because of conceptual and methodological differences. The article concludes that social reintegration does not automatically follow the completion of a sentence: it depends on sustained assistance, opportunities for community participation, and coordination between the state and society. Assessing policy outcomes requires specific empirical evidence concerning service coverage and continuity.