In 2008, during the Prison System CPI, the Porto Alegre Public Prison, known as “Central Prison”, it was classified as the “worst prison in the country”. Deteriorated, with open sewage, cells without locks and free interaction between prisoners, the space did not offer any security to those inside or outside the walls. Five years later, in 2013, the situation at the prison led to a complaint to the human rights council of the Organization of American States (OAS). The accusation was that the space offered the worst possible conditions for the prison population on the continent. Even so, it took ten years for the 1950s dungeon in the heart of the capital of Rio Grande do Sul to finally be deactivated.
The decision to transfer the prisoners, demolish a large part of the structure and renovate the prison was taken during the governor’s first term. Eduardo Leite (PSDB), but it was only removed from the paper in 2022. “The central prison in Porto Alegre was a shame. It was my decision to move there since the beginning of the government, but we didn’t have the resources at the time”, explains the toucan, who has already described the old prison as a “school of crime”. In December 2023, the state government transferred the last 896 occupants of the building so that the revitalization work could move forward.
See images of the old ‘Central Prison’
The forecast is now that the chain will be completely rebuilt. In February this year, the first three modules were completed and another six should be delivered by the end of the semester, totaling 1,884 places. “We couldn’t live with that situation any longer. The investments we have made in the gaucho prison system will help us to continue with a persistent drop in crime, I am very convinced of this”, stated the governor, who allocated around 500 million reais to the project.
The new prison
Started in July 2022, the work will have a total investment of 116.7 million reais. The external part will have control and service towers (reservoirs, pump room, LPG gas plant, hot water and energy generator and substation). The internal sector will have nine living modules, where cells and places for prisoners’ activities will be located: a covered and sunny courtyard, areas for visits and legal assistance.
The material used is high-performance concrete with the incorporation of polypropylene fibers, which, according to the government, has greater durability and impact resistance, even if there are attempts at depredation by prisoners. The material used in the cells and furniture is fire resistant and has low thermal conductivity, which makes the spread of a fire almost zero.
Prison officers will circulate on a walkway over the cell corridor and will be able to control the operation and opening of the doors in isolation from the inmates. The new structure, according to the government, will promote greater dignity for civil servants and prisoners and will help weaken the activities of criminal organizations.
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See photos of the rebuilt prison
Plan against violence
The reform of the penitentiary model is part of the program RS Seguro, launched in 2019, to reduce crime rates in the state. As shown VEJA report In this week’s edition, the action, with four main axes (fighting crime, preventive and transversal social policies, qualification of citizen service and the prison system), is coordinated by the governor’s office, which holds monthly meetings to monitor the results. As Veja showed, the state managed to significantly reduce homicide rates (-45%), robbery (-56%) and robbery and vehicle theft (-65%) in the last six years.
