Educação e ressocialização: avanços e desafios sobre o direito à educação no Presídio Montes Claros II

Abstract

The research focused on the right to education at the Montes Claros II Prison as a path to resocialization and combating recidivism. Incarceration does not strip inmates of their right to education, and it is the State's duty to guarantee its exercise, as stipulated in both national and international regulations. The general objective was to analyze the implementation of the right to education within the prison, specifically at Montes Claros II Prison. The specific objectives were to examine the history and purpose of sentencing in the prison system from both national and international perspectives, to identify how the educational process is proposed for citizens deprived of their liberty, and to highlight this process at Montes Claros II Prison from the perspective of the inmates. The research question was whether Montes Claros II Prison effectively implements the right to education. The relevance of the research lies in its timeliness and the need to realize the right to free, comprehensive, and quality education as a tool for resocialization and reducing recidivism. The approach was both quantitative and qualitative, combining descriptive analysis with the evaluation of statistics and numerical data, using bibliographic and documentary research. The reference for this study was the Penal Information Report – 15th SISDEPEN Cycle – 2nd semester of 2023 – RELIPEN. Additionally, this dissertation was produced within the scope of the Graduate Program in Education at Unimontes – PPGE/Unimontes. It was observed that the education of inmates at Montes Claros II Prison is conducted through a partnership between the State Department of Education of Minas Gerais (SEE/MG) and the State Department of Justice and Public Security (SEJUSP), via a Technical Cooperation Agreement. Educational offerings range from elementary education to the first year of high school, with plans to open new classes each semester until the complete high school cycle is covered, a library, a reading project in partnership with Unimontes, the National Exam for the Certification of Youth and Adult Competencies (ENCCEJA), the National High School Exam (ENEM), and Distance Education (EAD) for higher education within the prison. Additionally, higher education is offered in person directly at educational institutions, a modality aimed at preparing the inmate for reintegration into society in a dignified and humane manner. It was concluded that, despite the RELIPEN and other national documents, along with the data collected directly from Montes Claros II Prison indicating the presence of schools and libraries within the prison facilities, this does not necessarily confirm the existence of public policies directed towards this population. For some, it is considered a privilege rather than a constitutional right to education, which suggests the need for further theoretical and empirical exploration of the matter, particularly within the context of Montes Claros II Prison, under the jurisdiction of the State University of Montes Claros and the Graduate Program at Unimontes – PPGE.