Overcrowding in juvenile detention systems: a sociological analysis on norms and disputes in Brazil and France

Este artigo analisa a superlotação no sistema socioeducativo enquanto um objeto sociológico, com base em discussão sobre legislações e diretrizes, nacionais e interestatais, que tratam sobre a superlotação em centros de internação para adolescentes a quem se atribui a prática de ato infracional. Para tanto, realiza-se uma análise comparada entre dois países com atuações diferenciadas no tratamento da questão, Brasil e França. A partir da descrição do sistema de sanções a adolescentes acusados de atos infracionais nos dois países, propomos um debate que complexifica o próprio conceito de superlotação para, em seguida, apresentar como este é debatido nos contextos brasileiro e francês, evidenciando singularidades e disputas sobre modos de lidar com a superlotação em instituições privativas de liberdade para adolescentes. Tal análise permite definir a superlotação como resultado político da interação entre sistema de justiça, governos e ativistas, o que abre espaço para questionar a privação de liberdade como resposta inevitável e autoevidente para lidar com atos infracionais. ==== This article analyzes overcrowding in the juvenile detention system as a sociological object, based on a discussion of national and interstate legislation and guidelines that address overcrowding in detention centers for adolescents who are accused of committing infractions. To this end, a comparative analysis is made between two countries with differentiated actions in dealing with the issue, Brazil and France. Based on the description of the system of sanctions for adolescents accused of infractions in the two countries, we propose a debate that complexifies the concept of overcrowding itself, and then present how it is discussed in the Brazilian and French contexts, which highlights singularities and disputes over ways of dealing with overcrowding in juvenile detention facilities. This analysis allows us to define overcrowding as a political outcome of the interaction between the justice system, governments, and activists, which opens space for questioning deprivation of liberty as an inevitable and self-evident response to dealing with juvenile offenses.
This article analyzes overcrowding in the juvenile detention system as a sociological object, based on a discussion of national and interstate legislation and guidelines that address overcrowding in detention centers for adolescents who are accused of committing infractions. To this end, a comparative analysis is made between two countries with differentiated actions in dealing with the issue, Brazil and France. Based on the description of the system of sanctions for adolescents accused of infractions in the two countries, we propose a debate that complexifies the concept of overcrowding itself, and then present how it is discussed in the Brazilian and French contexts, which highlights singularities and disputes over ways of dealing with overcrowding in juvenile detention facilities. This analysis allows us to define overcrowding as a political outcome of the interaction between the justice system, governments, and activists, which opens space for questioning deprivation of liberty as an inevitable and self-evident response to dealing with juvenile offenses.