From Prison Guards to Police Officers: Are We Witnessing the Birth of a Full-cycle Force?

Abstract

Custody bureaucracies emerged in the Brazilian states in the 1990s with a mission of repression and resocialization. Over the years, they became increasingly repressive until they were transformed into the Penal Police in 2019. In this article, we analyze the trajectory of these careers based on a review of state organic laws governing the category and interviews with union leaders. We conclude that the Penal Police originated close to the complete police cycle and now attempts to break through the physical boundaries of prisons to operate externally, in an increasingly repressive logic, a phenomenon that presents nuances depending on the state in question.