Contrary to what common sense suggests, increased incarceration does not result in greater public safety. According to data compiled in the National Human Rights Observatory, today, Brazil has more than 850,000 incarcerated individuals, constituting the third largest prison population worldwide. Since 2000, this contingent has practically quadrupled, evidencing the phenomenon of mass incarceration, with a deficit of over 200,000spaces.
The uncontrolled growth of organized crime operates precisely from within prison units, strengthening itself proportionally to the increase in the prison population. The situation of women is particularly alarming: while the general prison population has grown drastically in recent decades, female incarceration has shown even more pronounced expansion, with two out of every three female detainees being first-time offenders.
