Inmate Governance in B razilian Prisons

Prisons in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are run not so much by prison guards as by inmates. In circumstances of severe overcrowding and acute staff shortage, prisoners are recruited or organise themselves, not only to perform clerical and janitorial work, but also to provide for welfare, discipline and security. Such inmate governance is as much a defining feature of Brazilian prison life as are inhumane living conditions. In recent years the roles played by inmates in managing the day‐to‐day running of Brazilian prisons have been largely subsumed by prison gangs. However, staff‐inmate relations remain characterised less by conflict and power as by accommodation and reciprocity.