At least 1,350 imprisoned people escaped from four different Brazilian jails yesterday amid coronavirus chaos. Eight guards were taken hostage, and some escapees have already been found.
Like the recent prison protests in Italy, these escapes were motivated by new restrictions on things like visitations and cancelled holiday breaks (during which people in minimum security are temporarily released). Public attendance in trials have also been vetoed and only urgent cases are being heard.
Brazilian prisons are notoriously overcrowded, and about 1/3 don’t have health stations.
Rachel Wagner 