The Struggles against Crime and its Effects in Argentina. On the Expansion of Imprisonment and the Difficulties of Following our Prisoners

This article aims to show some of the widespread effects of imprisonment. Considering fear of crime, imprisonment is one of the main solution that governments propose and societies accept. However, it is seldom thought that prison produces effects that extend well beyond those convicted. Accordingly, the increase in the incarceration rate and the selectivity of the penal system produces a socio-territorial configuration of links between poverty, justice, and imprisonment. Thus, popular neighborhoods whose inhabitants go to and inhabit in courts and prisons in various ways (as visitors, caregivers, or detainees). Thus, we find young men from popular neighborhoods that find prison as a possible destination and, at the same time, the women from these neighborhoods are supposed to take care of those young people incarcerated.