Brazil prison

( Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times / August 14, 2012 )

Brazil's prison population is expected to jump to 850,000 in the next few years, and estimates suggest that more than 80% of those released go on to commit more crimes. "Anything that gets the prisoners involved, that gives them some kind of activity or gives them a chance at education, will increase the likelihood they will re-socialize," says Ana Paula Diniz de Mello Moreira, coordinator in Brasilia of a presidential program to combat torture, a job that frequently involves investigating prisons. "It's very unlikely they'll reenter legal society if they have no alternatives."