“Penas invisíveis”: reflexos da tornozeleira eletrônica na dinâmica familiar

Abstract

This research aims to examine the effects of electronic monitoring on the family dynamics of individuals serving sentences under the harmonized semi-open regime in the municipality of Ponta Grossa, Paraná. Based on the premise that penal control extends beyond prison walls and permeates the everyday lives of families, the study emphasizes the family’s role in social reintegration and in exercising informal control over the sentenced individual. Characterized as descriptive and exploratory, the research adopts a qualitative approach, combining bibliographic review, document analysis, and semi-structured interviews conducted with family members of individuals deprived of liberty who are about to progress to another regime. Data were analyzed using content analysis techniques. The findings reveal that punishment, even when served outside prison, leads to reconfigurations in family relationships, with women emerging as the main providers of emotional, financial, and daily support to the sentenced individual. The study also identifies a social stigma attached to the electronic monitoring device and a sense of shared responsibility experienced by families. The research contributes to the debate on the effects of penal enforcement within the domestic sphere, underscoring the need for public policies that recognize and support these families as subjects affected by the penal system.