On October 2, 1992, at around 1:30 PM, a dispute between two prisoner factions escalated into a riot in Cell Block 9 of São Paulo’s Carandiru prison.
The 15 guards on duty that day were quickly overwhelmed by the 2,069 inmates involved.
Unable to contain the chaos, prison authorities called for help from the military police, who stormed the penitentiary and engaged with the prisoners.
The ensuing confrontation resulted in 111 deaths: 102 prisoners were shot dead by police, while nine others died from stab wounds inflicted by fellow inmates before the police arrived.
The Carandiru massacre has since become a symbol of systemic issues within Brazil’s penal system, shedding light on problems such as overcrowding, inadequate facilities, and the excessive use of force by law enforcement.
“The Carandiru massacre is a reflection of the deep problems of Brazil’s prison system,” said Atila Roque, Director of Amnesty International’s Brazil Office.
“For many decades, we have witnessed a toxic recipe of inhuman detention conditions mixed with the ‘shoot first, ask later’ policy that seems to have been adopted by police in São Paulo.”
Survivors of the massacre later claimed that police fired at inmates who had already surrendered or were hiding in their cells.
None of the sixty-eight police officers involved were killed.
Between 2013 and 2014, a total of 63 policemen were convicted for their roles in the killings, with some receiving sentences of up to 624 years.
In September 2016, a Brazilian court nullified the Carandiru massacre trial, citing self-defense and insufficient evidence linking specific officers to the killings.
As of 2024, none of the officers convicted have served their sentences.
