THE PERFORMANCE AND CONTROL OF CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THE PRISON SYSTEM AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE URSO BRANCO PRISON

Abstract

This article analyzes the actions and control exerted by criminal organizations within the Brazilian prison system, focusing on the case study of the "Urso Branco" prison in Porto Velho, Rondônia. The research investigates how structural deficiencies and the absence of effective state control favor the consolidation of factions that assume control of prison life, compromising the legality of penal execution and public safety. Methodologically, this is a qualitative, exploratory, and analytical study, based on a literature review and document analysis of institutional reports and decisions of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Partial results indicate that overcrowding and insufficient human resources allow parallel power structures to mediate conflicts and impose internal norms. The study highlights the importance of international interventions to mitigate human rights violations, although it emphasizes the practical limitations for implementing resocialization policies in environments dominated by organized crime. It is concluded that the strengthening of factions in Urso Branco reflects an institutional crisis that demands urgent reforms in prison management and the effective enforcement of the Penal Execution Law.