Wallace William da Costa studies medicine at UFNT Personal Archive Wallace William da Costa, arrested at the age of 18, served six years in prison, during which time he decided to return to his studies and choose new paths. Currently, at 47 years old, he has completed the 8th period of medical school, is preparing for internship and gives lectures. The student is trying to transfer from the Federal University of Northern Tocantins (UFNT), in Araguaína, to do his internship at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), to be closer to his wife and four daughters. "There are always prejudices and rejections, including the fact that my academic mobility is at a standstill, I think it is a form of prejudice. I have suffered a lot with this impasse. It is for them [family] that I leave so far away to study and improve their lives", says Wallace. The student claims that the request for the internship transfer process has been on hold for almost two months and that universities have not updated him with information about the request. g1 questioned the delay and requested a position from UFNT and UFJF, but did not receive answers until the last update of this report. READ MORE 'Education transforms': ex-inmate who studies medicine is approved in a public exam for doctor
Former prisoner completes 8th period of medicine, receives invitation to lecture and vents: 'There is always prejudice'
Wallace William da Costa studies medicine at UFNT Personal Archive Wallace William da Costa, arrested at the age of 18, served six years in prison, during which time he decided to return to his studies and choose new...
Wallace says that education can change anyone's life, and he wants his story to be used to inspire and encourage other people to change their lives. He receives invitations to give lectures in prison units. "I was invited to speak at the penitentiary complex where I was arrested, it should be in July. [...] The intention is not to show that I'm better than anyone else, because I'm not. It's to show that there is another way out, another life", he says. Approved in competition Wallace was born in Minas Gerais, but lived in different states in search of good opportunities. Approved in temporary exams over the years, he recently passed a public exam for a doctor's position in his homeland. "I passed a temporary exam at a federal hospital in Rio de Janeiro; when the permanent position came up, I passed. Then, I passed the one at Fiocruz and Petrobras. In total, I passed nine competitions. I took on two, where I worked until 2016, when I had to have my spine operated on and they retired me due to disability", he explains. He now hopes to finish his course at the Federal University of Northern Tocantins (UFNT), Araguaína campus, to take on a public role. The approval was at the end of 2025. According to him, the forecast is that he will be able to complete the course within the validity of the competition to take office. Former inmate is close to completing his medical course Personal archive/Disclosure Story of overcoming The student was arrested in 1997 and began studying while serving four years of his sentence in a closed regime at the José Edson Cavalieri Penitentiary, in Minas Gerais. In the remaining two years, already on probation, he studied Nursing, graduated and started working. The student is married and has four daughters who live in Minas Gerais. Since graduating in medicine and starting his course at UFNT, in Araguaína, Wallace has kept in touch with his family only during school holidays. He was arrested for drug trafficking when he was 18 years old. Wallace studied for the National High School Exam (Enem) and managed to pass, in 2023, the Medicine course at the Federal University of Northern Tocantins. The Court of Justice of Minas Gerais confirmed compliance with the sentence and the extinction of punishment. Wallace William da Costa, 44 years old, studies medicine at UFNT. Personal Archive/Wallace William See more news from the region on g1 Tocantins.
