Brazil’s violent prison riots

Jan 2017: 17-hour uprising at Anisio Jobim Prison in Manaus claims lives of at least 56 prisoners, with most of those killed coming from Brazil’s most powerful drug gang, Sao Paulo-based First Capital Command (PCC). 

Prison currently houses 2,230 inmates despite having capacity of only 590. Brazil has world’s fourth-largest prison population with more than 622,000 inmates, behind U.S. (2.2 million), China (1.5m) and Russia (874,000) 

Oct 2016: 18 inmates are killed in uprisings in jungle states of Roraima and Rondonia,  in clashes between PCC and rival Red Command from Rio de Janeiro

Nov 2010: At least 18 inmates are killed during uprising in notorious Pedrinhas prison in northeastern state of Maranhao

Jun 2004: Three-day riot in Rio de Janeiro’s Benfica jail ends with 30 prisoners and one prison warden dead, half of them beheaded

Jan 2002: At least 27 inmates are killed in riot in overcrowded Urso Branco prison in Rondonia

Feb 2001:  Coordinated wave of riots – involving more than 20,000 inmates – sweeps through 21 prisons in Sao Paulo state.  Brazil’s biggest-ever prison uprising leaves 19 people dead

Oct 1992 – Carandiru massacre: More than 111 inmates are killed in Sao Paulo’s Carandiru penitentiary, more than 100 shot by police as they storm prison

Brasilia
Rio de Janeiro
Sao Paulo
ARGENTINA
CHILE
PARAGUAY
ATLANTIC OCEAN
VENEZUELA
BOLIVIA
BRAZIL

Source: International Centre for Prison Studies