Perfil sociodemográfico das juventudes em condição de privação de liberdade

Abstract

This study seeks to understand the social characteristics of incarcerated youth by analyzing data provided in penitentiary reports on the prison population of young people aged 18 to 29 held in physical detention facilities, between 2018 and 2025, that intends to identify the sociodemographic profile of youth under conditions of deprivation of liberty. Articulating general categories such as race, education level, gender, and age group. The research adopts a quantitative approach, based on the analysis of national and state penitentiary reports made available by the [National Secretariat for Penal Policies (SENAPPEN)] and other official agencies, with the objective of constructing a statistical overview capable of approximating the profile of youth and critically interpreting the social and political mechanisms that contribute to their concentration within the brazilian penitentiary system. The theoretical reference engages with Michel Foucault (2024), particularly his notions of discipline, surveillance, and the production of delinquency, understanding prison as a modern technology of power. It also draws on contributions from authors such as Angela Davis (2018) and Juliana Borges (2019), who highlight the relationships between incarceration, structural racism, class inequality, and drug policy, situating imprisonment as a historical continuation of forms of racial and social oppression. Additionally, authors such as Abramo (1997) and Abramovay and Castro (2015), among others, provide perspectives on brazilian youth. The research reveals data that offer insight into the population most affected by the prison system, the justice system, and so-called “anti-crime” policies: predominantly young, Black (both “pretos” and “pardos”), individuals with low education level or without having completed their formal education.