Cultural heritage and prisons: erasures and silences

Abstract

This article analyzes the preservation of memories, collections and buildings related to the history of Brazilian prisons. I will deal with the absence of policies for the preservation of these assets at the Federal level and the destruction of prison buildings dating back to the twentieth century, a period in which Brazil experienced a real boom in the construction of prisons and penitentiaries. Parallel to the neglect of buildings, it is possible to observe initiatives aimed at preserving the prison heritage in its double dimension: material and immaterial. In this perspective, we will analyze some emblematic cases, such as the Tiradentes Prison in São Paulo and the Florianópolis Penitentiary in Santa Catarina.