Lula Defends Prison Furloughs and Plans 138 Maximum Security Prisons

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defended temporary prison releases and outlined proposed criminal justice reforms during a televised interview with SBT News on October 19, 2026. He also announced plans to convert 138 state prisons into maximum-security facilities targeting criminal organizations, including the First Capital Command (PCC) and Red Command (CV), and reiterated proposals to expand federal policing and establish a dedicated Public Security Ministry.

Lula linked temporary prison releases, commonly known in Brazil as furloughs, to family contact and rehabilitation. His remarks came after Senator Flávio Bolsonaro criticized the policy during a televised debate, citing the 2023 Christmas Eve murder of Renata Telles by an inmate who had been temporarily released.

Explaining his April 2024 veto of legislation restricting the benefit, Lula emphasized the role of family relationships in rehabilitation.

"It is a matter of people's right to live with their families," said Lula, the president of Brazil.

He argued that incarceration should aim to rehabilitate offenders rather than impose blanket restrictions because of individual cases.

"After all, the prison system should aim to rehabilitate people," Lula said.

The president maintained that authorities should distinguish between individual offenders and other inmates when determining prison policies.

"We cannot punish hundreds of people because of two or three. We believe rehabilitation is possible," Lula said.

He also said decisions on temporary release should account for the seriousness of an inmate's crime, excluding people convicted of heinous offenses such as rape.

"Anyone authorizing a release must consider whether the person committed a serious crime," Lula said.

Alongside his defense of rehabilitation, Lula supported lowering Brazil's minimum age of criminal responsibility to 16 for heinous crimes, acknowledging that his position on the issue had changed.

"We must be capable of changing our minds when we are convinced that it is important," Lula said.

On public security, Lula said his government intends to convert 138 state prisons into maximum-security facilities to disrupt criminal organizations that direct illegal activities from behind bars. He did not provide a timeline or estimate the cost of the plan, which would involve facilities currently administered by state governments.

He described the proposed facilities as modeled on Brazil's federal prisons, which are designed to restrict inmates' ability to communicate with criminal networks outside prison.

"We have already decided that 138 state prisons, from which the Red Command and the PCC direct crime, will be converted into maximum-security prisons," Lula said.

The president tied broader security measures to congressional approval of a proposed constitutional amendment on public security. He said he would establish a Public Security Ministry regardless of the election outcome and planned to double the personnel of the Federal Police and Federal Highway Police.

Lula also renewed his call for fixed terms for Supreme Federal Court justices and greater public participation in their selection. He said implementing the changes would require judicial reform approved by Congress.

"The president of the Republic should not be the only one involved; I want society to participate in this. I want justices to have fixed terms," Lula said.

Asked whether he would pursue the appointment of Jorge Messias to the Supreme Federal Court, Lula said he would decide after the election.

"First, I will win the election. Then we will know what we are going to do," Lula said.

The president also repeated a challenge to Flávio Bolsonaro concerning financial disclosures. He said he and his family were preparing authorization to disclose banking, personal and legal records, as well as telephone records, for submission to the Superior Electoral Court and the Supreme Federal Court. Lula had said earlier that he intended to send the authorization to Superior Electoral Court President Kassio Nunes Marques on October 20.

"We will disclose banking, civil and legal records. We will disclose telephone records," Lula said.

In healthcare, Lula said his goal was for Brazil's Unified Health System (SUS) to begin cancer treatment within 30 days of diagnosis. He also said the government was installing linear accelerators for radiotherapy in every state and deploying 150 mobile units nationwide to conduct imaging examinations, particularly for women.

"This is my commitment, the commitment of the healthcare system, the commitment of SUS, and the commitment of Brazilian society," Lula said.

Addressing concerns about the fiscal impact of campaign proposals, including changes to the Bolsa Família welfare program, debt relief for individual microentrepreneurs and a proposed constitutional amendment for free public transportation on weekends, Lula said the measures were affordable within the budget. He maintained that his administration was committed to fiscal responsibility and reported a primary budget surplus.

"I am fiscally responsible. I do not need to learn fiscal responsibility from Faria Lima," Lula said, referring to São Paulo's financial district.

He defended his record in managing public finances while responding to criticism of his government's spending plans.

"If there has been a president of the Republic who has been responsible in this country, it has been me," Lula said.

Lula also criticized the Central Bank's autonomy and financial-sector pressure on the government, arguing that public debate over fiscal deficits overlooked the cost of interest payments on government securities.

"They start January talking about a fiscal deficit and end the year talking about a fiscal deficit. They just do not talk about what the government pays them every year," Lula said.