Perhaps an old house seems out of place here? But this is the Presídio do Hipódromo. It’s located on a residential street. This old house has a history that’s far from peaceful.
The Presídio do Hipódromo was known as a “Prison Depot”. It was often closed. The reason was it was deemed unsuitable as a correctional facility. The growing prison population always led to its reopening.
The Hipódromo was often used for common prisoners. It also held prostitutes and transvestites. During the dictatorship, political opponents were sent here. This started in larger numbers after 1972. That was when the Presídio Tiradentes was deactivated. Political prisoners were kept separate from common prisoners. However, both groups lived in terrible conditions.
Political prisoners resisted. They often reported the conditions in the prisons. The Hipódromo was no different. Prisoners reported very poor food. They also reported overcrowding and lack of medical care. Restricted sunlight and punishments for common prisoners were also reported. They also told of threats. Torture was practiced at the neighboring police station. They could hear it from inside the prison. Despite the poor conditions, it only closed in 1995.
In 1975, the prison held 43 prisoners. They were in an area with six cells. Each cell held eight or nine “tourists”. Prisoners came from all walks of life. There were workers and soldiers. There were lieutenants, captains, colonels, professors, and lawyers. There were even polyglots. They lived collectively despite everything.
Political prisoners were treated with a certain respect. Both staff and common prisoners saw them as communists and not common criminals. Women prisoners were housed in the downstairs pavilion.
One prisoner wrote a letter. He thanked a man named Nelson for a gift. The gift was a collection of money. The writer’s father used the money to buy food for the prisoners at the Hipódromo.
The letter also mentioned a new newspaper called “Brasil Mulher”. It discussed amnesty for prisoners. The prisoners were allowed two hours of sunshine in the courtyard. One prisoner joked about another’s support for the Palmeiras soccer team.
Adriano Diogo was a student. In 1973, military officers arrested him. They took him to the DOI-Codi. Later, he spent a year and a half in the Presídio do Hipódromo. Even after his release, he continued to fight for justice.
In 1986, the Presídio do Hipódromo was transferred. It went from the Public Security Secretariat to the Justice Secretariat. Its name changed to the Hipódromo Public Jail. The Hipódromo Public Jail was responsible for inmates awaiting trial. It also held those arrested in the act.
Today, the Presídio do Hipódromo stands as a reminder. It reminds us of a dark period in Brazilian history. It stands as a testament to the resilience of those who fought for freedom and justice.