Prison escape: government suspends sunbathing and visits to federal penitentiaries

The Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) increased the security level of federal penitentiaries this Thursday, 15th. The measure prohibits sunbathing and visits from family and lawyers until Friday, 16th. The change in security level occurs after the escape of two criminals from the Federal Penitentiary of Mossoró, in Rio Grande do Norte, last Wednesday, 14th.

According to the MJSP ordinance, educational, religious and work activities are also suspended. The only exception to the ordinance is for emergency health care provided in the units. The measure also determines limited access to common areas. The standard justifies that the measures were taken due to the need to clarify the circumstances of the escape that occurred in Mossoró.

Rogério da Silva Mendonça and Deibson Cabral Nascimento escaped from prison in the early hours of Wednesday. This was the first time in history that prisoners managed to escape from a federal prison. The fact caused the MJSP to remove the penitentiary management and choose an intervener to head the unit. The name of the chosen police officer was not disclosed for security reasons.

The episode caused discomfort in the federal government, which recently changed command of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. After minister Flávio Dino left to take up a seat at the Federal Supreme Court (STF), former STF minister Ricado Lewandowski took charge of the department. Lewandowski made changes in some departments, including the National Secretariat for Penal Policies, which was now headed by André Garcia.

At a press conference this Thursday, Garcia stated that the department's priority is the recapture of fugitives and detailed the search efforts. According to him, security forces are using drones, equipment that measures body temperature, as well as federal and state police helicopters, to try to locate the fugitives.

Garcia did not provide information about the dynamics of the escape, but said that the possibility that agents relaxed security or facilitated the prisoners' actions cannot be ruled out. The prisoners' escape would have been facilitated by work taking place in the penitentiary. Asked about the topic, the secretary stated that the process will be reviewed.

“The entire maintenance process will be reviewed, because this work is maintenance work, which is necessary. But, as I said, it is necessary to review safety protocols to prevent a work from interfering with safety issues,” he said.

Brazil included the names of the two fugitives on the Interpol red list so that they can be sought by the international police community. Preliminary information indicates that both have links with Comando Vermelho, but the secretary stated that, in principle, the escape of the inmates has no connection with the leader of the faction, Fernandinho Beira-mar. The criminal is also detained in the Mossoró unit.

“At this moment when we are acting in a situation that we can classify as a crisis in the prison system, because the fact is unusual, we need to be very cautious and act correctly and with energy”, stated the secretary.

He also stated that there was a failure to apply the protocols in the prison unit: “There is no chance of an event of this nature happening when the protocols are strictly followed.”