Amazonas penitentiary system has more than 8 thousand inmates Seven years after the massacre that left 56 inmates dead in prison units in Amazonas, problems such as overcrowding, structural deficits and rights violations continue to be present in the state's prison system. A survey by the Public Ministry of Amazonas (MPAM) shows that 42 of the 62 prison units and police stations inspected in the interior are overcrowded. For family members of the victims, time was not enough to ease the pain. Cook Deusanete de Oliveira da Silva still remembers the death of her son, Rodrigo, aged 33, who was serving a sentence at the Anísio Jobim Penitentiary Complex (Compaj). According to her, Rodrigo was about to be released on parole after eight years in prison. The departure, scheduled for May 25, 2019, did not happen. A day later, he died during the massacre that marked the Amazon prison system. ? Join the g1 AM channel on WhatsApp "It was an injustice they did to him. He had the license, but I had to pick up my son in an IML bag", he lamented. She says that her son dreamed of leaving prison and opening a restaurant to work alongside his family. The massacre occurred between May 26 and 27, 2019 and resulted in the death of 56 inmates in four prison units in the state. Investigations showed that the sequence of murders was motivated by a dispute between criminal factions. Currently, 21 legal proceedings are ongoing to hold those involved in the episode, considered the second largest prison massacre in Brazilian history, behind only Carandiru. For criminal police officer Antonio Jorge Santiago, who followed the reality of the system, the tragedy could have been avoided. "There was a lack of responsibility on the part of the management. They let people sleep with the inmates, even a truck with drinks came in. It was something announced," he stated. Overcrowding persists In the assessment of public security specialist Goreth Rubim, the conditions currently faced by prisoners remain similar to those recorded in 2019. "We have a pile of people whose rights are being violated. There are cells designed for 10 people that today house 25 or even 30 inmates. Added to this is the lack of hygiene and ventilation, especially in the Amazonian summer", he says. Data from the National Council of Justice (CNJ) show that the prison system in Amazonas currently contains 8,581 people deprived of their liberty. Of this total, 4,110 have already been definitively convicted and are serving their sentences. Another 3,399 are still awaiting trial. The remaining prisoners are in a situation of arrest in the act, provisional execution, temporary arrest, civil arrest, judicial hospitalization or electronic monitoring. The survey also reveals that Amazonas has 8,716 arrest warrants pending, a number higher than the total number of people currently arrested in the state. In addition to the units located in Manaus, the state prison system has establishments in Coari, Humaitá, Itacoatiara, Maués, Parintins, Tabatinga and Tefé. READ ALSO: Amazonas has more people wanted by the courts than arrested, shows CNJ system Torture, overcrowding and precarious structure: MP identifies irregularities in police station in Amazonas Interior also faces crisis The MPAM diagnosis shows that overcrowding is not restricted to the capital. Among police stations and prisons in the interior inspected by the agency, 42 of the 62 units had a number of prisoners above capacity. Transfers of inmates between the interior and Manaus continue to be part of the routine of the State Secretariat for Penitentiary Administration (Seap), as a way of managing the occupancy of the units. Staff and structure Another point highlighted by experts is the performance of professionals responsible for the custody of prisoners. Goreth Rubim states that overt policing work is different from penitentiary activity and advocates greater strengthening of the Criminal Police. “When the State fails to act, criminal organizations find space to act,” he stated. According to the president of the Amazonas Criminal Police Union, Rossinaldo Silva, the category also faces structural difficulties. "It leaves something to be desired. We work with used weapons and vests that previously belonged to the Military Police," he said. Prison unit Reproduction/Agência Brasil What Seap says In a note, the State Secretariat for Penitentiary Administration reported that it works together with the Judiciary, Public Ministry, Public Defender's Office and other bodies in the search for solutions for the prison system.