Remission Without Remuneration: Institutional Racism and Prison Labor in Maranhão (2022–2025)

Authors

  • Diego Lima Cunha Federal University of Maranhão image/svg+xml Author
    • Luíz Eduardo Simões de Souza Federal University of Maranhão image/svg+xml Author
      • João Pedro Câmara Pereira Federal University of Maranhão image/svg+xml Author

        Keywords:

        prison labor, institutional racism, penal selectivity, Prison Enforcement Act, Maranhão

        Abstract

        This article examines the expansion of prison labor in the Maranhão penitentiary system between 2022 and 2025, situating it within the racial hierarchies that structure the Brazilian penal system and the tensions between the normative promise of the Prison Enforcement Act (LEP) and its concrete application on Black bodies. Drawing on historical series from the National Penitentiary Information System (SISDEPEN), the research shows that while approximately 73% of incarcerated men participated in labor activities by the end of the period, about 94% of those activities were carried out inside prison facilities and two-thirds of workers received no direct remuneration, in systematic violation of Article 29 of the LEP. The population affected by this pattern is composed predominantly of Black and Brown individuals (≈85%), revealing that the racial selectivity of the penal system does not end at criminalization but extends and deepens through sentence enforcement. We argue that prison labor in Maranhão operates as a racially oriented carceral management device: the formal-legal dimension of sentence remission is consistently applied, while the economic counterpart owed to the Black worker remains systematically withheld. Law, in this arrangement, is not neutral, but the field in which racial hierarchies are simultaneously legitimized and potentially contested.

        Author Biographies

        • Diego Lima Cunha, Federal University of Maranhão

          Pesquisador do Grupo de Estudos em Economia Política e História Econômica (GEEPHE), sob a orientação do Prof. Dr. Luiz Eduardo Simões de Souza.

        • Luíz Eduardo Simões de Souza, Federal University of Maranhão

          He holds a Bachelor's degree in History from the University of São Paulo (1995), a Master's degree in Economic History from the University of São Paulo (2002), and a Ph.D. in Economic History from the University of São Paulo (2008). He completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in International Relations at the Institute of Strategic Studies (2018).

          He is an Associate Professor at the Federal University of Maranhão and teaches in the Graduate Programs in History and Socioeconomic Development at UFMA. Since 2010, he has coordinated the Group for Studies in Political Economy and Economic History. He has extensive experience as a lecturer and researcher in the fields of History, Economics, and International Relations.

        • João Pedro Câmara Pereira, Federal University of Maranhão
           

          Economist, graduated in Economics from the Federal University of Maranhão. He is a researcher at the Group for Studies in Political Economy and Economic History, under the supervision of Luiz Eduardo Simões de Souza. He has experience in the field of Economic History, with an emphasis on the following topics: progress, technological progress, development, and multilateral financial institutions. His research interests include International Political Economy (IPE), International Relations Theories, Development Theories, Macroeconomics, and Financial Markets. He is currently pursuing a Master's degree in the Graduate Program in Socioeconomic Development (PPGDSE) at the Federal University of Maranhão.

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        Published

        2026-08-20

        Data Availability Statement

        The data supporting the findings of this study are publicly available in the National Penitentiary Information System (SISDEPEN), provided by the Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security. All data analyzed during this study are included in the referenced SISDEPEN reports. 

        Issue

        No. 51 (2026): Revista ESASP - Revista Científica Virtual da Escola Superior de Advocacia da OAB SP - Contemporary Perspectives on Law

        Section

        Direito e Hierarquias Raciais: Conflitos, Permanências e Possibilidades de Transformação

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        Copyright (c) 2026 Diego Lima cunha, Dr. Luíz Eduardo Simões de Souza, João Pedro Câmara Pereira (Autor)

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        How to Cite

        Remission Without Remuneration: Institutional Racism and Prison Labor in Maranhão (2022–2025). Revista ESASP - Revista Científica Virtual da Escola Superior de Advocacia da OAB/SP, São Paulo, n. 51, p. e2026010, 2026. Disponível em: https://revista.esaoabsp.com/index.php/esa/article/view/218. Acesso em: 29 aug. 2026.