Mulheres privadas de liberdade no sistema prisional: Interface entre saúde mental, serviços sociais e vulnerabilidade

The article analyses, from the perspective of a Equipe de Atencao Basica prisional (EABp), how the prison environment affects the health of women deprived of their liberty and what are the main health needs identified from the daily work of this team. Through a qualitative survey, focal group meetings were held with the participation of 10 professionals from an EABp implemented in a women’s prison in southern Brazil. The thematic analysis showed that the prison environment can either produce or trigger or aggravate the health problems of this population. The scarce supply of social services aimed at education, sports, leisure and the occupational area affect the living conditions in this place. These activities are essential to reduce the damage caused by confinement, since they act as protectors and promoters of health in prison. This condition denounces the organizational fragility and the little involvement of management bodies in defending and guaranteeing the citizenship rights of women prisoners.