A street in the favela and a window in the cell: Precariousness, illnesses, and deaths inside and outside the walls

Abstract

Taking the debate over the relations of continuity between the inside and outside in prisons as a starting point, this text aims to reflect from a singular point of view about the link which connects prisons, favelas and the outskirts. In times of Covid-19, these links may be associated with the infrastructure and materiality of these places. Densely populated and poorly ventilated and lit areas, water rationing, or floods, open sewage, and accumulation of garbage are some features of structural precariousness that connect prisons and the city outskirts. Previous ethno-graphic studies, analyses of documents, and interviews show how precariousness is decisive in the prevalence of certain illnesses among black, poor, and peripheral populations and point to a differential distribution of illnesses and deaths.