Reimagining Incarceration: A Case Study Analysis of the APAC Recovering Persons-Led Prison Model in Nova Lima, Brazil

Abstract

In the face of a punitive common prison system long ridden with overcrowding, violence, and human rights abuses, the recovering person-led APAC prison model arose as an alternative method of incarceration that would come to be recognized by many in Brazilian society as a potentially more effective and ethical way to administer the sentences of those convicted of a crime. Driven by the impetus of understanding whether the model did in fact present a viable alternative method of incarceration to the traditional prison system, this study sought to shed light on APAC’s rehabilitative capacity by drawing from the ideas of those living within it. This thesis conducts a case study analysis of the APAC Nova Lima unit in Minas Gerais, holding a series of 25 semi-structured virtual interviews in February, 2025, with recovering persons incarcerated in the facility. The questions asked were designed to identify the key rehabilitative factors of the APAC methodology, as perceived by incarcerated individuals in the Nova Lima unit. The study’s findings suggest that the APAC methodology’s incorporation of human dignity, educational and professional opportunities, and supportive volunteer and internal environment, are what fundamentally drive its ability to foster rehabilitation among its recovering persons. While many of its elements may function in interconnected ways, these results indicate that the model represents a promising alternative method of incarceration that common prison systems can draw from in order to better promote rehabilitation. From the small actions, like calling those incarcerated by their name rather than numbers, to the larger-scale interventions such as guaranteeing access to education and labor or operating in the absence of police, the elements highlighted by recovering persons illuminate what steps traditional prisons, both in the country and globally, can take to create carceral environments more effective and conducive to rehabilitation. Based on this critical perspective, this thesis concludes by offering policy recommendations derived from the ideas and concerns brought up by recovering persons in the chapter before, suggesting ways the model can improve its provision of education and labor, religious inclusivity, and data collection practices. Altogether, this study contributes a crucial lens to the literature on APAC’s rehabilitative effectiveness, incorporating the perspectives of recovering persons to understand how the model might inform the creation of a more humane and rehabilitation-centered national approach to incarceration.