Black Youth and the Penal State: violence, control and resistance in the favelas

Abstract

This article aims to reflect on the current mechanisms of genocide of black Brazilian youth, based on the reality of Rio de Janeiro’s favelas and the relationship between violence and the Penal State. To this end, it analyzes how social control and repression policies affect different social groups, highlighting the racial markers that guide the selectivity of the justice system. It discusses the expansion of the punitive State and the use of institutional violence as a response to social challenges, often criminalizing black and favela populations. The text highlights the influence of historical and structural factors in the perpetuation of this repressive model, criticizing the prioritization of military and punitive solutions to the detriment of preventive and social policies. Finally, it presents possible paths already taken by the black and favela population, who denounce the violence they suffer, guide the city of Rio de Janeiro and promote alternatives for a more just society.