Short Circuit : Electronic Monitoring and the Crisis of the Brazilian Prison System

The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Foreword: Perverse Effects of an Alternative Sanction Foreword: The Labyrinth Beyond the Bars Acknowledgments Contents Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Initial Outline 1.2 Methodological Approach 1.3 Chapters References Chapter 2: Short Circuit 2.1 Human–Machine Interface 2.2 The Jailer of Oneself 2.3 Connecting Cog 2.4 The Marked Body References Chapter 3: Lines of Emergence 3.1 Epistemological Progeny: Psychotechnology 3.2 Science Fiction and Neoliberal Penality 3.3 Martial Traces: Geopositioning as a Technology of War References Chapter 4: Diagrammatic Compositions 4.1 It’s a Signal Blockage 4.2 Superimposed Diagrams 4.3 Silicon and Rubble References Chapter 5: Converging Enunciations 5.1 Eclectic Discourses and the PCC Attacks 5.2 Unlikely Origins 5.3 The Trade Show References Chapter 6: Out of Control 6.1 Success in Failure 6.2 Out of Control References Afterword Index Drawing upon both ethnographic research and genealogical analysis, this book represents the first in-depth scientific analysis of criminal offenders’ electronic monitoring (EM) in Latin America’s largest country. It focuses on three empirical axes: 1) the implementation of EM policies against the backdrop of Brazil’s collapsing carceral system; 2) the discourses and rationalities which undergird the deployment of EM; and 3) the effects of EM upon convicts moving back and forth between penal institutions and urban spaces governed by armed militias, criminal gangs, and abusive police forces. The book is ideal for researchers and practitioners concerned with the fields of criminal justice and public security all over the world.