FINANCIAL EDUCATION AND THE VULNERABILITY OF INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS.

Abstract

This e-book discusses the relationship between financial education and the vulnerability of incarcerated individuals, examining how the lack of knowledge and skills in personal finance is linked to a broader context of poverty, social exclusion, stigmatization, and criminal recidivism. Based on theoretical frameworks on vulnerability, citizenship, and human rights, it analyzes the socioeconomic profile of the prison population, the mechanisms of production and deepening of financial vulnerabilities before, during, and after incarceration, as well as the possibilities and limitations of financial education as a harm reduction strategy and support for social reintegration. It argues that financial education, conceived from a critical and emancipatory perspective, can be a relevant instrument for strengthening the autonomy and civic awareness of incarcerated individuals, provided it is linked to broader public policies of productive inclusion, access to rights, and combating mass incarceration.