Flows in a Female Penitentiary: Manoeuvring between Absence and Presence of Family Members

Abstract

In this paper we aim to understand the flows between female inmates and their family members through quantitative and qualitative research conducted in a female penitentiary in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The literature in this field indicates a high porosity between life inside and outside of prisons, yet when it comes to incarcerated women, these studies have stressed their abandonment. We argue that there is no abandonment, but a family restructuring that, though very often not allowing frequent visits, nevertheless enables essential flows that ensure the inmate’s survival—with many consequences for their families.