Inmates at Penitentiary I in Franco da Rocha, in Greater São Paulo, rioted in the unit late this morning (20). There is still no information about injuries or the causes of the riot.
According to the Penitentiary Administration Secretariat (SAP), the riot was controlled and the situation stabilized. There were no hostages.
The Rapid Intervention Group, made up of prison officers, is working on site.
At this moment, the secretariat said, a survey is being carried out on the damage that occurred in two of the pavilions.
“Tragedy announced”
In a statement, the São Paulo State Prison System Employees Union (Sifuspesp) stated that the rebellion in Franco da Rocha “is a tragedy that has been announced for years”.
“Since 2022, Sifuspesp has been warning candidates for governor of the State of São Paulo and all authorities about imminent chaos in the prison system due to the dismantling of units and the shortage of one third of prison officers. Today, after an escalation of violence against employees, an increase in riots and deaths, and with the frightening number of 18 escapes from semi-open regime between December 2023 and May 2024 alone, for the first time in four years a prison in São Paulo has registered a rebellion. The situation, far from being an outlier, is the result of the inertia of several state government administrations, which ignore the warnings and put the lives of employees and the population at risk,” says the union’s statement.
According to Sifuspesp, there is an increase in violence in the São Paulo prison system. “In the first five months of 2024, 203 attacks on prison officers were recorded, an increase of 276% compared to the same period last year. The number of murders inside prison units almost tripled in the same period, jumping from 5 to 14, evidencing the loss of state control over its prisons. This explosion of violence is a direct consequence of the disregard for public safety,” the union denounced.
According to information available on the website of the Penitentiary Administration Secretariat, Penitentiary I in Franco da Rocha has capacity for 914 inmates, but currently holds 1,398 people.
