Amazonas has the smallest number of criminal police officers in activity in Brazil with just 39 agents, study shows

The report, however, highlights that the number of staff reported for the state is inconsistent with the size of the Amazon prison system. "It is worth noting, in particular, that the expected and existing staff reported for Amazonas (35 positions and 39 employees) differ from the size of the state prison system, which requires verification with the primary source", says an excerpt from the document. According to the study, the situation is related to the management model adopted by Amazonas. Part of the services in prison units are provided by private companies, responsible for activities such as food, health care and the prisons' internal routine. The security of establishments and escorts of inmates are the responsibility of the Amazonas Military Police (PMAM). According to the survey, the current criminal police officers are remnants of the old competitions for penitentiary officers, held before the creation of the Penal Police. Difference between Amazonas and São Paulo exceeds 20 thousand servers The difference between the states also appears in the numbers. While Amazonas has 39 active criminal police officers, São Paulo has more than 20 thousand civil servants in the category, the largest number in the country. In the state of São Paulo, the administration of prison units is carried out directly by the public authorities, including custody of prisoners, internal security and surveillance of establishments. According to the study, Amazonas and São Paulo represent opposing models of prison management. "Amazonas and São Paulo represent the two extremes of the Brazilian penitentiary model. On the one hand, the largest statutory penal force in the country guarantees a direct state monopoly over custodians; on the other, the almost absence of criminal police officers in Amazonas makes outsourcing a structural rule, with complementary roles played by the Military Police", points out the report. The study ? The information is part of the 2nd Edition of the X-Ray study of the Brazilian Public Security Forces, prepared by the Brazilian Public Security Forum (FBSP). The survey consolidates official data provided by the state secretariats of Public Security and Penitentiary Administration of the 26 states and the Federal District. The methodology maps the number of active career civil servants, the occupancy rate of positions provided for by law and the differences in management models of the prison system across the country. MORE