Entre grades e histórias: a atuação da defensoria pública nas penitenciárias femininas do Piauí (2017–2024)

Abstract

This article presents the results of a study on the role of the Public Defender’s Office at the Adalberto de Moura Santos Penitentiary, located in the city of Picos, Piauí, and as a complement, analyzes the projects developed by the Gardênia Gomes Lima Amorim Penitentiary, located in Teresina, Piauí. The study aimed to understand the Public Defender’s projects aimed at incarcerated women, seeking to examine how these initiatives were implemented both in the interior and the capital of the state of Piauí. Furthermore, we sought to outline a historical overview of the female prison system in Brazil in order to understand its current structure. The time frame covers the period from 2017 to 2024, chosen to include relevant discussions for understanding the functioning and actions carried out in the penitentiaries of Teresina and Picos, based on the projects developed by the Public Defender’s Office.

This gives rise to the following questions: How have the actions of the Public Defender’s Office been carried out in the women's penitentiary in Picos? What projects have been developed in the city of Teresina, and to what extent have they been extended to the interior of the state? To answer these questions, we used the method of reading and analyzing academic texts, the official website of the Public Defender’s Office, articles, magazines, and an interview with the public defender of Picos. The theoretical framework includes authors such as Arthur (2011), Silva (2014), and Assis (2019). One of the key conclusions we reached is the need to expand actions that enable better living conditions and future prospects for female inmates in the interior regions of the state.