Taubaté Prison is a correctional facility in the city of
Taubaté,
São Paulo state
SAO or Sao may refer to:
Places
* Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD
* Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso
* Serb Autonomous Regions (''Srpska autonomna oblast'', SAO), during the breakup of ...
,
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
. The facility has the distinction of being the birthplace of the gang
Primeiro Comando da Capital.
Background
Taubaté Prision is located 135km (85 miles) north of
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
.
In August 1993, the
Primeiro Comando da Capital or PCC, was formed at Taubaté Prison, under jail conditions that have been described as a “a
Hobbesian nightmare”. The gang would begin to expand their operations significantly beyond prison walls, becoming a serious organized crime threat in Brazil.
The chaotic nature of the conditions inside the Brazilian prison system, including Taubaté, have made the facility a breeding ground for gang violence and rioting.
On December 19, 2000, more than 220 prisoners rioted at the facility in a 30 hour standoff. Inmates held more than 20 hostages. Nine prisoners would die in the melee.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taubate Prison
Prisons in Brazil
Primeiro Comando da Capital