Abstract

SCARTAZZINI, Leticia  and  BORGES, Lucienne Martins. The psychosocial condition of the penitentiary agent: a theoretical review. Bol. - Acad. Paul. Psicol. [online]. 2018, vol.38, n.94, pp. 45-53. ISSN 1415-711X.

The Brazilian prison system is undergoing a historical crisis, considering its low ability in fulfilling with its ideal: to reintegrate into society a person that committed an act considered by society as legally deviant. It is estimated that the national rate of recidivism exceeds 70%. In addition to this high index, there are innumerable violent acts that permeate prisons, acts that often reach social knowledge through the media. In this system, there is the penitentiary agent, who occupies the hierarchic space between the direction of the prison institutions and its prisoners; it is he who governs the fulfillment of the rights and duties - the institutional and the inmates ones. The daily routine of a penitentiary agent involves peculiar interactional situations, performed in an environment where violence reigns, latently and clearly. In this sense, the objective of this research is to analyze the scientific production that contemplates the psychosocial condition of the penitentiary agent. From researches in Brazilian and international databases, a systematic survey of articles was conducted, by means of pre-established descriptors. The analysis of the consulted bibliography was delimited between the period of 2002 and 2013; it comprised scientific articles published and entirely available. The central subjects have been gathered in four categories: violence, mental health, factors of risk, and social and organizational factors. Results point to the gap of researches with this population, as well as the illnesses related to this professional category. The difficulties encountered in the course of a penitentiary agent's career are also evident. And finally, which is a consensus, is the need for attention and care with this professional category

Keywords : prison system; penitentiary agent; mental health.

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