Bibliotecas prisionais no Brasil: uma análise à luz das diretrizes da IFLA

Abstract

This study analyzes the role of prison libraries as fundamental instruments in the fulfillment of human rights and the promotion of social reintegration for individuals deprived of liberty in Brazil. The general objective is to investigate how access to and information mediation contribute to rehabilitation, confronting international IFLA guidelines with the national reality. The methodology, qualitative and exploratory in nature, is grounded in bibliographic research and documentary analysis based on Vergara (2016) and Bardin (2016). The results reveal a scenario of an ‘unconstitutional state of affairs’ within the penal system, in which data from the National Council of Justice (2023) indicate that 30.4% of Brazilian units lack reading spaces and only 7% have professional librarians. The discussion highlights that the lack of infrastructure and the invisibility of information mediation performed by qualified professionals compromise the right to sentence reduction through reading and the pedagogical function of imprisonment. It is concluded that the prison library must be recognized as a strategic facility for education and culture, making it imperative to invest in public policies that ensure access to information as an inalienable human right, essential for the reduction of criminal recidivism.