Beyond words: Incarcerated women’s responses to punitive systems in Peru

March 6, 2026

In a women's prison in Lima, Peru, researchers facilitated a collage-based art workshop during 2024-2025 that provided incarcerated women a means to express the harsh realities of imprisonment beyond verbal communication. The workshop revealed how intensified government control measures focus less on rehabilitation and more on restricting prisoners' well-being, particularly targeting expressions of sexuality and personal identity. Through creating collages together, the women shared survival strategies, maintained relationships despite being separated into different security blocks, and visually represented the overwhelming mental burden of juggling past traumas, present responsibilities, and uncertain futures.

Who is affected

Incarcerated women in a Lima, Peru women's prison (specifically named participants: P, C, T, L, Z, K, F, and approximately 20 other workshop participants)
Prison couples like P and C whose relationships face institutional scrutiny
Families of incarcerated women, including children and mothers
Prison staff working on the ground
External organizations committed to prisoners' rights
The workshop facilitation team (Adriana Hildenbrand, Lucia Bracco, Luisa Pariachi, Camila Rodrigo, and Giovana Fernádez)

What action is being taken

A collage-based artistic creation workshop titled 'Life Narratives through Collage' is being held every Friday in the women's prison
The Peruvian government is intensifying restrictions and control mechanisms toward prisoners and their visitors
Prison authorities are conducting evaluations that move prisoners between security blocks
Control measures in the maximum security block are being intensified week after week
Incarcerated women are creating collages to express their experiences and maintain collective bonds

Why it matters

This matters because it exposes how tough-on-crime policies in Peru prioritize punishment and control over rehabilitation, particularly targeting women's sexuality and well-being rather than addressing crime reduction or social reintegration. The workshop demonstrates that alternative spaces for expression and resistance are essential for maintaining the humanity and mental health of incarcerated individuals who face dehumanization, isolation, and the erasure of their complex identities. It reveals that hypercontrol in prisons serves to weaken potential sources of well-being rather than facilitate successful reentry into society, highlighting the gap between stated institutional goals and actual practices that perpetuate suffering.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices