The prison system in Rio de Janeiro faces a chronic overcrowding problem, with a deficit of 19,000 vacancies. The state is home to some of the largest criminal gangs in the country. In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled on ADPF 347, recognizing that there is "massive violation of fundamental rights of prisoners" in the country.
The next governor of Rio will have to invest in building penitentiaries to eliminate the vacancy deficit, as provided by the Pena Justa Plan, from the National Council of Justice. The two best-positioned candidates in the polls, Eduardo Paes (PSD) and Douglas Ruas (PL), have plans to build prisons in the state.
However, both are expected to run into resistance from mayors. In recent years, there has been at least one municipality that obtained court rulings to prevent the construction of a prison complex in its territory, demonstrating the political difficulty in accepting these structures.
