Meanings of care in adolescent detention centers in Uruguay

Abstract

This article analyzes the meanings and ideas associated with care among the adults who operate adolescent detention centers in Uruguay. This qualitative research involves a unique, descriptive and in-depth case study that presents a corpus consisting of interviews, documents, observations and field notes. Three categories of analysis are described in relation to the concept of care: care as a socio-educational measure, safety as an operating standard and access to rights through punitive politics. The article argues that there are pluralist visions associated with care and the treatment of adolescents that are based on punishment through disciplinary confinement, which legitimizes the use of violent practices.