The interaction between individuals with mental disorders and the contemporary Brazilian prison system

Abstract

The relationship between the Brazilian prison system and the study of the psyche has been increasingly deepened, as the precariousness of the system proves to be a vicious cycle. This study investigated the link between mental health care in society, the respect for the human rights of the incarcerated, and the influence of unhealthy prison conditions on recidivism and social reintegration. The methodology involved an integrative review of scientific articles, developed within the scope of legal sciences, with an emphasis on Brazilian Criminal Law, penal enforcement, and the protection of fundamental rights of individuals with mental disorders deprived of liberty. Primary sources were articles published in indexed journals across databases such as SciELO, Scopus, CAPES Periódicos, Redalyc, and Google Scholar. The results indicated that the precarious environment amplifies mental disorders, while overcrowding increases the risk to mental health in prisons by over 66%. 37% of the female inmates in the study presented significant stress symptoms. Conclusively, the punitive system fails at social reintegration. We conclude that the Brazilian prison system is flawed regarding the mental health of its incarcerated individuals, and it is evident that the conditions it promotes are insufficient to foster the rehabilitation and social reintegration of these individuals, in addition to causing or aggravating pre-existing clinical-mental conditions..