The production of the order in the central prison of porto alegre by the military police

Abstract

This article analyzes the management of the Military Police, called Military Brigade (MB), in the Central Prison of Porto Alegre (PCPA), which has lasted since 1995, seeking to understand the procedures used in the production of the prison order (regarding the organization of the spaces, the relationship with the prisoners, and the specificities from the military police institution). The methodology encompassed in-depth study of the PCPA through historical reconstruction (documentary research in newspapers, government sites and legislation) and intensive field research (ethnographic observation and interviews with military police officers). It was found that, from a coercive initial action, the MB was gradually incorporating persuasion and negotiation as management mechanisms. In addition, the explicit demarcation of territories and internal flows has consolidated a certain balance of forces between the prison administration and the prisoner group, amid a context of overcrowding, precarious conditions for the execution of sentences and the strengthening of criminal organizations.