Prison mortality in times of COVID-19 and the inefficiency of the state in the enforcement of right to health

Abstract

Objective: to investigate prison mortality rates due to COVID-19, based on official statistical data and analyze the state´s inefficiency in realizing the right to health. on how the penal system is facing one of the worst pandemics ever faced by humanity. Methods: the method used was deductive, based on the technique of bibliographic research, with collection of statistical data, records of works, scientific articles, Brazilian legislation, as well as studies in ​​critical criminology, which reveal the cruelty of prison. Results: the conditions of confinement to which people incarcerated in Brazil are exposed are overcrowding, lack of ventilation and poor hygiene, which can be a major source of contamination by contagious diseases, increasing the risk to health and life. Conclusion: the contributions of the study indicate the vulnerability of incarcerated individuals and the need for the regulation and judicial decisions to be designed with a view the realization of the right to health and that the state be held responsible for their death when it fails to fulfill its legal responsibilities.