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Brazilian Families Spend $840 Million Annually on Inmates, Study Finds
Confirmed
In Short: Families of Brazilian prisoners spend an estimated $840 million a year on basic necessities for their incarcerated loved ones, according to a new study.
According to a new report commissioned by the Catholic bishops’ prison pastoral ministry, Brazilian families of prisoners spend an estimated $840 million a year to provide basic necessities such as food, hygiene supplies, clothing, and medicine for their incarcerated relatives.
The study, titled 'Punishment Without a Sentence,' surveyed 2,706 relatives of inmates across Brazil and found that women, especially wives and mothers, shoulder most of the financial and emotional burden. Lawyer Isabela Corby noted, 'Families spend too much money on Brazilian inmates, and that is too heavy a burden for them.
Corby emphasized that the large majority of inmates' families are poor, and the money spent could be used for education or housing. The research showed that more than 30% of the women who visit their relatives every week spend about $205, which is the minimum monthly wage in Brazil, and 57% of the interviewees said they spend more than $39 on each visit.
At the beginning, the women make every effort to visit once a week and take a complete basket with them. But, as they run out of money, they begin to take fewer things, they begin to borrow money, and the problems escalate," said Sister Petra Pfaller, who heads the prison pastoral ministry. "That basket is a true symbol of their love for their imprisoned relative. Failing to send it is equivalent to failing to take care of the inmate. It’s very painful for them.
The study also showed that almost 90% of respondents reported that their relatives' detention had caused them physical or psychological harm. Many are Black, poor, and spend a significant portion of their income supporting loved ones behind bars.
The prison pastoral ministry's study highlights the financial and emotional strain on families of Brazilian prisoners, with the potential for long-term impacts on their well-being and economic stability.
Background
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is also the world's fifth-largest country by area and the seventh-largest by population, with over 214 million people.
What's confirmed
- According to a new report commissioned by the Catholic bishops’ prison pastoral ministry, Brazilian families of prisoners spend an estimated $840 million a year to provide basic necessities such as food, hygiene supplies, clothing, and medicine for their incarcerated relatives.
- The study, titled 'Punishment Without a Sentence,' surveyed 2,706 relatives of inmates across Brazil and found that women, especially wives and mothers, shoulder most of the financial and emotional burden. Lawyer Isabela Corby noted, 'Families spend too much money on Brazilian inmates, and that is too heavy a burden for them.
- Corby emphasized that the large majority of inmates' families are poor, and the money spent could be used for education or housing. The research showed that more than 30% of the women who visit their relatives every week spend about $205, which is the minimum monthly wage in Brazil, and 57% of the interviewees said they spend more than $39 on each visit.
- At the beginning, the women make every effort to visit once a week and take a complete basket with them. But, as they run out of money, they begin to take fewer things, they begin to borrow money, and the problems escalate," said Sister Petra Pfaller, who heads the prison pastoral ministry. "That basket is a true symbol of their love for their imprisoned relative. Failing to send it is equivalent to failing to take care of the inmate. It’s very painful for them.
- The study also showed that almost 90% of respondents reported that their relatives' detention had caused them physical or psychological harm. Many are Black, poor, and spend a significant portion of their income supporting loved ones behind bars.
- The prison pastoral ministry's study highlights the financial and emotional strain on families of Brazilian prisoners, with the potential for long-term impacts on their well-being and economic stability.
What's still developing
- The idea came up after German-born Sister Petra Pfaller, who heads the prison pastoral ministry, handed Pope Leo XIV a report in April on restrictions imposed by the Brazilian penal system on pastoral agents seeking to visit penitentiaries.
- The Catholic University of America has been awarded an A+ for its outstanding pro-life initiatives by The Pro-Life Generation’s (PLG) Demetree Institute for Pro-Life Advancement.
- On and off campus, opportunities abound for engagement: the National March for Life; the student organization Cardinals for Life; Sidewalk Ministry; and partnerships with St.
- The project’s objective is to create an environment of accompaniment and support on campus for expecting mothers and new parents, addressing the challenges and celebrating the joys that arise in family life for all members of the University community—undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, and their families.