Rio’s Governor Calls for End to Conjugal Visits for Inmates

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Governor Wilson Witzel advocated ending conjugal visits to inmates on Wednesday, September 18th, during the 1st National Meeting of Homicide Department Directors. Witzel further said he was in favor of increasing the maximum sentence for criminals: the limit would be raised to 50 years.

“The penalty for organized crime felons cannot be 35 years, it has to be 50 years. The prison system cannot allow conjugal visits. Hasn’t he lost his freedom? He has to lose his sexual freedom. What are we thinking? You take away the subject’s freedom, but you don’t take away his sexual freedom. What is this?”, said Witzel.

The governor said that today there is a deficit of 300,000 places in the national penitentiary system and that new vacancies are needed to prevent riots as in the states of Ceará and Pará. According to him, the state government will build five “vertical” prisons.

“We are not arresting too many, but rather too few. There is a lack of space in the prison system. Here in Rio, we will build five vertical prisons, with a total capacity of 3,500 to 5,000 prisoners; they will have teaching and industrial areas,” added Witzel.

Federalization of the Marielle case

Governor Wilson Witzel said he was in “absolute disagreement” with the federalization of the investigations into the murders of city councilor Marielle Franco and her driver Anderson Gomes. Witzel further said that the former Prosecutor General, Raquel Dodge, is politicizing the investigation through her request.

“I note my absolute disagreement with the request for federalization. With all due respect to Raquel Dodge, she is politicizing the situation. Will the Federal Police be better than the Civil Police?” challenged Witzel.

Source: Extra