FROM EXCLUSION TO HOPE: EDUCATION AS A BRIDGE IN THE PRISON SYSTEM

Abstract

This article analyzes education in the Brazilian prison system as a tool for social transformation, from the structural exclusion that precedes incarceration to the possibility of reintegration and citizenship. The discussion highlights that most of the prison population already lived in vulnerable conditions before imprisonment, marked by the denial of basic rights such as education and work. In this context, prison education is understood as a bridge of hope, capable of offering new life perspectives, reducing criminal recidivism, and promoting dignity. The study also points out the challenges faced, such as lack of infrastructure, shortage of trained teachers, and the predominance of a punitive rather than rehabilitative logic. It concludes that education in the prison system must be recognized as a human right and as a permanent public policy, capable of transforming trajectories and contributing to a fairer and more inclusive society.