Spending on the prison system declines and most states have no policy for former inmates, study says

Brazilian states' spending on the prison system declined last year despite a growing incarcerated population, while governors are struggling to implement public policies for those leaving prison — an initiative that most states still do not have in place.

This is the finding of the latest edition of the Security Investment Funnel, a survey produced by Justa, an institute specializing in policy and justice studies, which analyzed state budget execution in 2025. The results were released on Thursday (17).

State spending on the prison system totaled R$22.3 billion last year, down from R$22.8 billion in the previous fiscal year, 2024. In 2023, expenditures amounted to R$21.5 billion. All figures have been adjusted for inflation over the period.

Tocantins recorded the largest increase in sector spending from one year to the next, with a 89% rise in expenditures last year. It was followed by Alagoas (38%), Goiás (23%), and Rondônia (21%).

Meanwhile, the prison population continues to grow. Data from Senappen (National Secretariat for Penal Policies) show that the current number of prisoners in Brazil (727,800) is the highest since the second half of 2019, when the country had 731,000 detainees.

Programs aimed at supporting former inmates, however, continue to fall short of what is needed, in Justa's assessment.

According to the survey, R$19 million was allocated to such initiatives in 2025. In 2024, the figure was R$18 million. Spending is heavily concentrated in São Paulo, which alone accounts for R$13 million of last year's total.

It is followed by Ceará (R$3.8 million), Mato Grosso (R$781,000), and Bahia (R$482,000). Beyond these, only Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Sergipe invested in the area. With the exception of Acre, which did not provide data, the remaining states have no spending in this area, the study reports.

According to the report, the situation is concerning because the reintegration of former inmates is one of the pillars of Pena Justa, a plan developed by the CNJ (National Council of Justice) in the wake of a Supreme Court (STF) ruling that recognized the so-called "unconstitutional state of affairs" in the prison system.

"We cannot generalize, but overall there is a difficulty among states in adapting to the demands of the plan," says Taciana Santos, coordinator of budget studies at Justa.

In the case of those that do invest in the area, she says, funds go primarily to social support offices — structures designed to provide assistance to former inmates. "They help with documentation, finding shelter, employment, or providing psychological support," she states.

Some of the states that channel funds toward policies for former inmates only began doing so after the plan was created — as is the case with Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Bahia, according to Justa.

In addition to reintegration policies, the CNJ plan also includes tools to monitor available prison spaces to address overcrowding, expansion of educational and work opportunities for inmates, infrastructure improvements, and enhancements to hygiene, health, and nutrition in facilities, as well as better conditions for prison staff.

There are more than 300 targets to be met by next year.

Despite this, Justa states that "the survey identified no significant change in the national volume allocated to policies for former inmates across the country."

The Investment Funnel also analyzed state spending on the Military, Civil, Penal, and Forensic Science police forces. Spending on security forces across the 26 federal units analyzed totaled R$ 103.5 billion in 2025, according to Justa.

The largest share, R$ 60.7 billion (58.6% of the total), went to the Military Police, responsible for overt policing.

Tasked with investigations, the Civil Police received R$ 22.2 billion (21.5% of the total), and the Forensic Science units, responsible for expert examinations, received R$ 2.8 billion (2.7%).

These figures are close to those presented in the latest edition of the Brazilian Public Security Yearbook, published by the Brazilian Public Security Forum in July.

The Forum's study revealed that Brazil has never spent so much on public security: combining expenditures from the federal government, states, and municipalities, the amount disbursed last year was R$ 163.1 billion, 2.1% above the R$ 159.8 billion from the previous fiscal year.

The increase is driven by the states, but municipalities have also been gaining ground in security spending: in August, a Forum study showed that municipal guards have surpassed the Civil Police and are now the second largest security force in the country, behind only the Military Police.