A Brazilian court has ordered the partial closure of the Gurupi Penal Unit in Tocantins due to severe overcrowding. The ruling came after a civil public action filed by the Public Ministry of Tocantins (MPTO), which revealed that the prison is currently housing approximately 230 inmates, far exceeding its capacity of 130. This situation has led to an occupancy rate of over 170%, well above the extreme overcrowding threshold of 137.5% established by the National Council of Criminal and Penitentiary Policy (CNPCP).

Under the court's decision, the prison will no longer accept new inmates, and transfers to the facility have been prohibited until the prison population is reduced to its lawful limit. The state has been given a timeframe of 60 days to formulate an emergency action plan aimed at decreasing the number of inmates. This plan must include concrete objectives and a timeline, or the state will face penalties for non-compliance, highlighting the urgent need for reforms in the Brazilian penitentiary system.

This ruling underscores the ongoing crisis of overcrowding in Brazil's prison system, which has been a long-standing issue contributing to human rights violations and inadequate living conditions for inmates. The case in Tocantins is emblematic of the broader challenges facing the Brazilian justice system, as authorities struggle to manage the high incarceration rates and ensure humane treatment for all prisoners.