O acontecimento prisão e a questão da educação prisional: o caso da penitenciária estadual de Francisco Beltrão, Paraná, Brasil

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to understand the issue of prison education at the State Penitentiary of Francisco Beltrão. In this context, we aim to identify the key actors involved in this process, as well as the main events that have shaped the penitentiary’s environment throughout its evolution as an educational institution. With the goal of contributing to the debate on the necessity and importance of formal education within the prison setting—and supported by the theoretical framework of scholars such as philosopher Michel Foucault—this study seeks to understand the historical trajectory of the implementation of formal prison education and the challenges related to its development within this institutional context. Through a bibliographic review focused on the outlined research problem, this work addresses historical aspects, as well as the laws that have regulated and continue to regulate the practice of education in prison environments. The research is specifically grounded in the State of Paraná, and more precisely in the CEEBJA Novos Horizontes, located within the State Penitentiary of Francisco Beltrão, Paraná, Brazil. Beyond historical and legal elements, this study seeks to discuss how educational acts and their institutional frameworks trigger power relations that—through processes aimed at resocialization, such as formal education—permeate the microcosm of the prison system. The research includes a case study based on on-site fieldwork, including observations, analysis of relevant documents (such as laws and regulations related to prison education), an interview with the institutional pedagogue, and, if possible, with some current or former students of CEEBJA Novos Horizontes. All efforts aim to better understand the role of education in the lives of inmates and/or former inmates.