Do cativeiro às celas: a influência do racismo estrutural na população carcerária brasileira

Abstract

The history of slavery in Brazil left a complex legacy, deeply affecting social and economic structures. This study aims to analyze how socioeconomic inequalities are intrinsically linked to the Brazilian prison system, highlighting the relationship between the legacy of slavery and structural racism in criminalization policies and racial discrimination. This article aims to investigate the history of racism in Brazil and its influence on socioeconomic inequalities; analyze and compare numerical indices on the profile of the Brazilian prison population and its connections with criminalization and racial discrimination policies; examine the types of racism, based on Silvio Almeida's Theory of Structural Racism -anomaly, institutional and structural-, and its influence on the process of unequal incarceration; in addition to discussing how racial inequalities impact the daily lives of the black population, based on the book by Djamila Ribeiro Small anti-racist manual -. To achieve the proposed objectives, a systematic review of the literature was carried out, covering historical, sociological and legal studies that address the relationships between socioeconomic inequalities, the prison system and racial discrimination. The results revealed that socioeconomic inequalities in Brazil have their roots in the history of slavery, consequently in structural racism, perpetuating themselves in different spheres until reaching the contemporary prison system. Ethnic minorities and low-income individuals make up the majority of the prison population, demonstrating a cycle of social exclusion. Disproportionate criminalization policies, combined with discriminatory practices on the part of institutions, deepen these disparities. This study highlights the urgent need for reforms in the Brazilian incarceration system, including policies that address socioeconomic inequalities and racial discrimination. And, understanding the historical and structural roots of this problem is crucial for formulating comprehensive and equitable solutions, aiming to create a fairer and more inclusive justice system.