Velhices encarceradas: os significados das experiências vivenciadas em contexto prisional por idosos internos de uma penitenciária em Salvador/BA

Abstract

The main objective of this research is to identify and understand the meanings that permeate the quotidian of old adults incarcerated in a Brazilian prison. It is evident that the presence of elderly people in prisons has become a reality in Brazil, whereas, between the years 2005 and 2022, there was a significant increase from 1,350 to 14,712 inmates aged above 60 years old. That way, when considering that the old age is a social construct and that prison is part of a punitive device that pursues and deepens vulnerabilities, there is a need to study the specific configurations of prison experiences from the perspective of incarcerated old adults. Therefore, to achieve the intended objective, the research was developed through a qualitative approach and the use of direct observation techniques and the application of semi-structured interviews. This study had the participation of 12 men aged 60 years or older who were serving a custodial sentence at Lemos Brito Penitentiary, an prisional facility located in the city of Salvador, state of Bahia, Brazil. The collected data were treated through categorical content analysis. Thus, throughout the study, it was verified that the interviewed persons, reported past experiences marked by social positions of vulnerability, despite having heterogeneous geographic and generational contexts. It was observed that several conceptions spread in common sense about aging also manifest themselves in prison. It was identified that time as a measure of the sentence can assume a meaning of its own for the old incarcerated, which is the deprivation of enjoying what they built throughout their lives. Finally, it was evident that, in addition to noting the ineptitude of prisons and the lack of specific public policies for incarcerated elderly, it is necessary to develop studies that capture the singularities of the social dynamics experienced by incarcerated old adults.