With reading circles, theatrical presentation and even recording PODCAST with people deprived of liberty, the National Council of Justice (CNJ) launched last Friday (August 23rd), the project on Literary Minds: from the Magic of Books to the Art of Writing. The initiative is part of the national strategy to universalize access to books and reading in prisons, led by the Making Justice program, coordinated by the CNJ in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and with the support of the National Secretariat for Criminal Policy (Senappen).
The location chosen for the launch was the Center of Detention and Resocialization of the city of Linhares, in the State of Espírito Santo. Events are planned in the States of Alagoas, Bahia, Mato Grosso and Tocantins, but the idea is to take the project to all of Brazil. "Through books and writing, we offer a way for people deprived of liberty to discover new horizons, develop skills and rewrite their own stories. Literature not only opens doors, but also builds bridges to a more promising and dignified future. This is exactly the bet of the CNJ with the project on Literary Minds, which seeks, through reading, to transform lives and promote social reintegration in an effective and humanized way", says the supervisor of the Department of Monitoring and Supervision of the Prison System and the System for the Execution of Socio-educational Measures (DMF) and advisor to the CNJ, José Rotondano.
"We all know the power of reading as a catalyst for change, capable of illuminating new perspectives and ressignifying the experience of those who are in deprivation of liberty. But having libraries in prisons is not enough. It is necessary to qualify the literary collections, provide access to different works, encourage and value writing as a form of citizenship. Literary Minds covers these various fronts and it is our way of reaffirming that transformation is possible when there is commitment and interinstitutional cooperation", says the assistant Judge of the presidency and the coordinator of the DMF/CNJ, Luís Lanfredi.
The project aims to expand access to books, writing and culture for people deprived of liberty and exiles from the prison system, using reading as a tool for education and social reintegration and as an instrument for remission of sentence. In addition to the visit to the premises of the prison unit of the city of Linhares, the program for the launch of the project was followed by a ceremony with the Secretary of Justice of the State of Espírito Santo, Rafael Pacheco, and representatives of the Monitoring and Supervision Group of the Prison System (GMF) and other representatives of the State Court.
O Mentes Literárias contará com a parceria de editoras e outros atores-chave para garantir seu desenvolvimento e sustentabilidade ao longo do tempo. “O acesso à leitura é um direito humano fundamental e um instrumento poderoso para que pessoas privadas de liberdade consigam imaginar novos caminhos de vida. Com o Mentes Literárias, esperamos oferecer novas oportunidades de desenvolvimento pessoal a esse público, sempre pensando na remição de pena e na retomada da vida em liberdade dessas pessoas”, destacou o juiz auxiliar da presidência do CNJ com atuação no DMF Jonatas Andrade, presente na cerimônia.
Mentes Literárias will count on the partnership of publishers and other key actors to ensure its development and sustainability over time. "Access to reading is a fundamental human right and a powerful instrument for people deprived of freedom to imagine new ways of life. With the Literary Minds, we hope to offer new opportunities for personal development to this public, always thinking about the remission of sentence and the resumption of life in freedom of these people", said the assistant judge of the CNJ presidency with work at DMF Jonatas Andrade, present at the ceremony.
"When we idealized the project, we thought of the guarantee of rights provided for in our Constitution, especially reading and culture, with its transformative and emancipatory potential for people in deprivation of liberty. The launch in the city of Linhares, starting with a reading circle and unfolding in theater and radio, showed how reading and cultural actions can have a positive impact on the lives of people deprived of liberty", explained Pollyanna Alves, coordinator of the Citizenship Axis of the Making Justice Program.
Training of mediators
As part of the preparation for the launch, CNJ held last week a training for reading mediators who will conduct the project activities in the prisons. The training, organized in partnership with the Letters Company (Companhia das Letras), aimed to prepare prison staff and Social Offices teams, providing tools and techniques for promoting social educational practices focused on reading and writing.
About the literay minds project
The Literary Minds project is aligned with the guidelines of the Resolution n. 391/2021 of the CNJ, which encourages the remission of sentence through reading as an educational social practice in the prison system. The initiative provides for the holding of reading and writing workshops in prisons and social offices, as well as the qualification of literary collections and the structuring of libraries in these spaces. The project methodology includes biweekly or monthly meetings over six months, promoting continuity and deepening of reading practices.
