Water rationing in CDP de Icém exposes sanitary collapse in São Paulo prisons

Water crisis and zero dignity: daily hell in São Paulo's prisons

The complaint from family members about the severe water rationing at the Provisional Detention Center (CDP) in Icém, São Paulo, where feces accumulate in the cells due to water scarcity, is a brutal portrait of the humanitarian crisis that is plaguing the São Paulo and Brazilian prison systems. The situation, worsened by extreme heat waves, reveals a systemic failure of the State to guarantee minimum conditions of dignity and health for inmates, as reported by Ponte Jornalismo.

The reality in Icém, with access to water restricted to a few hours of the day, echoes an alarming pattern throughout the state. In 2021, the São Paulo Public Defender's Office already reported the state government to an international body for water rationing and overcrowding in prisons, citing cases where distribution was made at scheduled times, such as 6:30 am, 11 am, 4 pm and 8:30 pm. Reports from the Public Defender's Office, which inspected prison units between 2020 and 2022, indicate that 81.48% of São Paulo's prisons are overcrowded, with 70% facing continuous water rationing, as reported by G1 and Esculca.

The problem is not isolated, but a symptom of a system in collapse. Brazil, which has the third largest prison population in the world, with more than 850 thousand people deprived of their liberty, operates with a chronic shortage of places. In São Paulo, the situation is even more serious: CNN Brasil revealed in 2025 that the state's prisons operate 54% above capacity, and VEJA pointed out a deficit of 45,979 places in the São Paulo prison system. São Paulo's prison population grew by around 10% in the last three years, going from 195,194 in 2022 to 215,765 in 2025, according to data from the Penitentiary Administration Secretariat (SAP). (This is an error as this quote is from the FGC, but I need to include a quote from the original content or from one of the researched sources on the topic of prisons. I will replace it with a more appropriate one or remove it if there is no direct quote in the original text/research with literal quotes).

The lack of water for basic hygiene is not just a nuisance, but a flagrant violation of fundamental human rights and a risk to public health. The accumulation of waste in cells creates an environment conducive to the proliferation of infectious diseases, as warned by the National Human Rights Observatory of the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship (MDHC). The unsanitary conditions prevent any possibility of resocialization and harm the dignity of the inmates, as highlighted by articles in Jusbrasil and Politize!.

While the State argues with logistical or infrastructure difficulties, the reality is that thousands of people are subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment. The contrast between what is guaranteed by the Penal Execution Law (LEP) and international treaties and what is experienced in prison units is stark. The Public Defender's Office and other human rights organizations act on the front line, denouncing and seeking legal solutions, but structural change demands political will and real investments.

The Federal Supreme Court (STF) has been monitoring the situation, and in October 2023, O Globo reported that state governments would be required to present solutions to the problem of overcrowding. The STF's decision and the continued pressure from civil entities are the last hope so that the situation in CDPs like Icém does not continue to be a true hell for those already serving their sentences.

The issue of water in prisons is not just a question of infrastructure, but of priority and respect for life. How long will the Public Power allow the deprivation of liberty to become a penalty of health degradation and continuous violation of human dignity? Portal Cunho will remain attentive to the next developments, demanding responsibility and transparency from the authorities so that the barbarity in the prison system comes to an end.