We're building a total of 21 new jails throughout the state. And even inside Carandiru, there are signs of hope. The number of cases of torture has fallen. Hundreds of prisoners have found consolation in religion, with evangelical protestant groups particularly strong. Over the years, Carandiru has developed its own rules, its own slang and its own culture.
Some prisoners even say they are reluctant to move.
It is hard to feel much nostalgia for a place which has been the scene of so much suffering. The question is whether the brutality and negligence which have been so present here will continue to be the hallmark of jails throughout Brazil. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.