Gender, invisibility, and female incarceration: implications of socio-affective abandonment on the resocializing function of punishment

Abstract

The incarceration of women in Brazil has grown significantly since the 2000s, exposing the historical invisibility of these women to the State. This exponential increase highlights specific needs of the female population, notably the maintenance of socio-affective bonds. It is observed that the main distinction between male and female incarceration is isolation; while incarcerated men tend to maintain the support of female networks such as wives, mothers, and sisters, women are frequently abandoned by their partners and family members soon after imprisonment. From the perspective of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 of the 2030 Agenda (Gender Equality), the results demonstrate that the rupture of family ties deepens the social and emotional vulnerability of female inmates, manifesting itself in the absence of visits and the loss of support networks. This scenario negatively impacts mental health, dignity, and prospects for social reintegration, making the lack of support an obstacle to the effectiveness of penal execution policies. In this context, the present research analyzes the impacts of socio-affective abandonment on the resocialization aspect of punishment. The methodology adopted consists of a deductive approach, carried out through legislative, bibliographic, and documentary research. It concludes that maintaining family ties is a fundamental element for achieving the purpose of the sanction. Thus, in alignment with SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), the implementation of public policies aimed at humanizing the female prison system and guaranteeing fundamental rights is imperative, promoting mechanisms that favor social inclusion and a penal execution based on justice and human dignity.