THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION IN THE PENAL EXECUTION LAW: ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN BRAZILIAN PRISON CLASSROOMS

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of the Penal Execution Law in guaranteeing the right to education for individuals deprived of liberty, considering the conditions actually observed in classrooms within Brazilian prisons. It is based on the understanding that education constitutes a fundamental right and a significant tool for promoting human dignity and citizenship, as well as for building new life prospects—both during and after the completion of a sentence. The study examines the relationship between the guarantees established by Brazilian legislation and their practical implementation in the daily life of correctional facilities, identifying key structural, institutional, and pedagogical limitations. Methodologically, this is a qualitative, exploratory-descriptive study conducted through a literature review and document analysis of legislation and scholarly works regarding prison education, penal execution, social reintegration, and pedagogical practices within the prison system. The results demonstrate that, despite regulatory advances concerning educational support, the provision of school facilities, and sentence remission through study, a significant gap remains between the formal guarantee of the right and its actual implementation. Key obstacles identified include inadequate infrastructure, the prioritization of security concerns over pedagogical needs, limitations imposed on teaching staff, and the risk of education being reduced merely to a means of obtaining sentence remission. The study concludes that realizing the right to education within the prison system requires coordinated public policies, structural investment, the valuing of educational professionals, and recognition of the prison school as a legitimate space for knowledge, autonomy, citizenship, and the reconstruction of social trajectories.