In Brazil, tough-on-crime approach packs prisons

[Judi Lynn]

Diane Jeantet, Associated Press Updated 12:10 pm CDT, Thursday, August 1, 2019

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Another burst of violence at an overcrowded Brazilian prison where dozens of inmates died has prompted promises of more prison cells and more guards, despite expert warnings that the strategy has been failing for decades.

A tough-on-crime vow last year helped Jair Bolsonaro win the presidency of Brazil, a nation plagued by gangs blamed for a string of mass-murder prison riots. No country has suffered more homicides in recent years and only two nations — the United States and China — have more people behind bars.

"Our concern and our priority are good people," Bolsonaro said on Twitter while campaigning last year. "I've always said it: I prefer a prison full of criminals than a cemetery full of innocents. If space is missing, we build more!"

On Monday, a gang at the Altamira prison in northern Brazil attacked rivals within the walls and setting fire to a temporary cell block. Officials say 58 people were decapitated or asphyxiated by the fire. Four others apparently were strangled by other inmates in the aftermath as prisoners were being transferred to supposedly safer lockups.

More:
https://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/In-Brazil-tough-on-crime-approach-packs-prisons-14273341.php