Black Institute of Ceará

Discover the profile and realities of imprisoned women at the Auri Moura Costa Female Penal Institute, with attention to human rights. Contributing to the political training of imprisoned women in relation to issues of gender, ethnicity, race, institutional violence and human rights. Provide greater visibility and promote debates with imprisoned women, civil society and the public authorities.

– Planning and organizing with partners to consolidate the project proposal.

– Collection of existing data about the reality at the Auri Moura Costa prison.

– Systematic meetings.

– Visits and institutional contacts with the Female Penal Institute and partnering organizations to present the proposal, raise awareness and form agreements.

– Training activities.

– Collection of data from documentary research and focus group questionnaires.

– Compilation and systematization of data.

– Data analysis.

– Creation of a diagnostic report.

– Project systematization.

– Creation of a publication.

– Seminar.

– Public hearing.

– Evaluation and monitoring of the project.

Brazil is the second largest country in the Americas in terms of prison population — with 550,000 inmates as of 2012. Of this total, 40% are in custody awaiting trial. From 2000 to 2012, the male prison population grew 130%, or by 52,964 inmates. The female population grew 246%, or by 35,039. The female prison population is predominately black, young and uneducated. In Ceará, 57.3% have no previous criminal record and around 70% have no information about the status of their case. In 2012 only 15 women received conjugal visits. It is an invisible reality, without any solidarity from society. Studies show evidence of punishment, humiliation, physical force, torture, psychological violence, threats and sexual harassment of both women and men in prison. Furthermore, there have been reports of lack of hygiene and cleaning products and lack of health care.

The mission is to promote ethnic, political, social and cultural values of black populations, with a focus on black women. The Black Institute of Ceará promotes the political training of youth and women (from quilombos, Afro-religious traditions, poor outlying neighborhoods), productive groups, black movements and women’s and feminist movements. It denounces and accompanies cases of racism and participates in organizing, mobilizations and lawsuits, along with taking positions in the political context via articles, internet, and radio and television stations.

– Ceará Women’s Forum.

– Brazilian Women’s Network.

– Black Brazilian Women’s Organizations Network.

– Black Women’s March Steering Committee.

– Anti-Racist Front of the AMB.

The project benefited more than a thousand people in a direct way through processes of training, seminars, public hearings and defending a political pedagogical project for prisons. The women became interested already from the start of the project. Among the highlights was the building of a pact of trust between the inmates and the educators, resulting in a learning process for both parties. Life stories could be heard in spaces for reflection that included topics such as the importance of participation and political organization in the struggle for rights. It was also possible to perceive the influence of these topics in the partner organizations. This process helped reveal the reality facing women in prison.