The social function of penalty and the brazilian penitentiary system

This article was elaborated based on the theme of the social function of punishment and the Brazilian prison system, delimiting itself to the Brazilian prison system. The study seeks to answer the problem question: Does the current Brazilian prison system fulfill the social role of punishment? To do so, it started from the hypothesis that the purpose of punishment is to intimidate potential criminals, punishing and rehabilitating convicts, as well as promoting legal security for defendants and social defense. The relevance for such a study lies in the reality frequently reported in the media about the prison system, so researching, studying, and discussing aspects related to punishment and prisons is of interest to society as a whole, which longs for greater security. The general objective of this study is to verify if the Brazilian prison system is capable of promoting the real function of punishment. To achieve the outlined objective and answer the problem question, the present research was carried out using the technique of bibliographic research.

KEYWORDS: Punishment. Prison. Society.