Gilmar: Prisons in Brazil are in a "chaotic situation".
"It makes no sense that, in a country like Brazil, we have prisons without the minimum conditions for the dignified treatment of people," admitted the Supreme Court Justice, in an interview with journalist Mônica Bergamo; the statement comes at a time when former congressman José Genoino, who suffers from a serious heart condition, may be transferred to a penitentiary.
247 - At a critical moment, when former congressman José Genoino, convicted in Criminal Action 470, may be subjected to the precarious conditions of a prison while suffering from a serious heart condition, Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Gilmar Mendes highlights the "chaotic situation" in which Brazilian detentions find themselves.
"It makes no sense that, in a country like Brazil, we have prisons without the minimum conditions for the dignified treatment of people," admitted Gilmar, in an interview with journalist Mônica Bergamo, published in Folha de S.Paulo this Sunday (read the full interview). hereHe recounts that, in 2008, when he presided over the Supreme Federal Court and the National Council of Justice, he found "a situation of complete mismanagement, abandonment, and people crammed together" in the country's prisons.
According to him, it is necessary to "draw attention to the responsibility of all sectors," including "the federal government, through the Ministry of Justice, which has a significant fund for improving prison conditions. The state justice departments. The Public Prosecutor's Office, which should oversee prisons. The Judiciary. It's a chain of responsibilities that is not fulfilling its function," he states.
When questioned about the "social pressure" surrounding the issue, he stated: "There is no criticism from society. No political party is vocalizing this. I was once asked why the Supreme Court only dealt with wealthy defendants. No. The court deals with both rich and poor defendants. But the press is only interested in the rich ones."