Ser reclusa estrangeira em Portugal : significados e experiências

  • Matos, R. (Supervisor)
  • Catarina Amaral Maia (Student)

Activity: Supervision

Description

Throughout the last decades, and with the increase in the number of foreign women within the prison population, it became crucial to understand which variables are essential and characterizing of the way foreign women perceive the imprisonment experience, as well as in what way does this experience contributes to their identity (re)construction. The present study aims to comprehend in what way being a woman and a foreigner impact the imprisonment experience. Therefore, sociodemographic, legal, and penal data of 23 foreign women in prison in Portugal were statistically analyzed. In addition, a qualitative analysis of data collected through semi-structured interviews to two of these inmates was developed. Regarding the quantitative results, in their vast majority, support the state of the art, revealing the predominance of Brazilian inmates imprisoned due to the traffic of narcotics. However, and contrary to what was verified by Matos (2016), more than half of the women considered in the sample were residing in Portugal prior to their confinement. Through the analysis of the qualitative data, one can emphasize several aspects depicted as opportunities, namely the proximity to inmates who share the same nationality and the dynamic of secrecy. Other circumstances are perceived as challenges, such as family distance, lack of work, money and institutional support, as well as discrimination.
Period29 Nov 2020
Degree of RecognitionMaster