Punishment or Resocialization? The duality of the prison system

Abstract

This article aims to discuss the duality of the prison system in relation to punishment and resocialization, since prison was initially conceived as an institution for punishment and how it can simultaneously act as a space for resocialization, promoting social reintegration. of individuals, contributing to the reintegration of rehabilitated people into society, instead of worsening their initial conditions. This research is based on the contributions of classic and current works and uses as a method the bibliographical review, recent research focused on the relationships between punishment and resocialization in the prison context. The text is organized to address penalties throughout History: from the Ancient Age to the present; the change in imprisonment structures and the transformation of the prison system: from punishment to resocialization. This path demonstrated that, although there is significant evolution in the prison system, increasingly focusing on resocialization, there is still a long way to go to fully achieve this objective. The analysis suggests that the effective implementation of resocialization programs depends on cultural and structural change within prison institutions, as well as continued support from society and the State.