Mães em situação de encarceramento e a relação com seus familiares: um estudo em unidades prisionais na cidade de S. Paulo

Abstract

The increase of 246% of the imprisoned women population between 2000 and 2012 is an evident reality in our country that amounts to 37,200 women sent to jail in 2016. It is the fifth largest population in the world. 72% of the reasons for female incarceration are drug-related offences, which raises the gender issue identified by the lower-ranking functions performed by women. Former studies have revealed that the deepest concern of inmate mothers is over their children and their care. This research aims to understand, after a mother imprisonment, the dynamics of family-relationships in the new arrangements made by families. The study adopts a qualitative approach, pursuing a narrative research that analyzes the stories lived and told by participants, based either on their oral or written reports. The narratives of 5 imprisoned mothers were collected in three jails in the city of São Paulo. The narratives of the 12 children they have, and 5 caregivers were taken at their homes and other public places. The reports were ordered from the family's past before imprisonment, followed by their life and family relationship while in jail, up to their future expectations after their release from jail. It was possible to identify the strength and value that these families hold; the huge worry about mothering they nurture; conveivable and ingenious arrangements that each family system makes. It was also possible to see familiar patterns repeating from generation to generation; such as violence and gender related issues. Besides providing fundamental aspects about the life these women and their families live what allows us a better understanding of the situation, this work aims to render subsidies for alternative public policies to women confinment with deprivation of liberty