The owner of the keys: A woman in charge of Rio de Janeiro's prisons

In "A dona das chaves," written in partnership with journalist Anabela Paiva, Julita Lemgruber opens the doors to the world of prisons and takes us into the cells, offices, and corridors of a prison system marked by violence, corruption, and surprising acts of courage and generosity. Author of landmark books on public safety, Julita moved from theory to practice during the Brizola administration in Rio de Janeiro. She was the first woman to hold the position of general director of Desipe, a network of 25 units with approximately 9,200 inmates and 2,300 officers. Striking accounts of contrived escape schemes, hunger strikes, and death threats fill the book's pages. Dry topics gained a softer feel in Julita's hands, who created titles based on prison jargon, such as the unusual "Snow White in the Penitentiary" and "Doril Escapes: Nobody Knows, Nobody Saw." The behind-the-scenes stories of several episodes that made headlines in Rio de Janeiro's newspapers are revealed. Among the most emblematic is the outbreak of violence at the Ary Franco prison in 1991, when 32 inmates were burned to death in a fire in their cell. An investigation led to the conviction of two guards, who were fired but acquitted in a police investigation in 2003. Another event that deserved attention was the plan by the bookmaker Maninho, then in prison, to rob Julita's house and kill her. The motive was the "hardline" management of the then-director of Desipe. She was determined to prevent the bookmakers from having all the rights of other inmates, without using their various resources to obtain privileges. The author details this action against the prisoners' privileges. The engaging narrative woven by Julita and Anabela provides insight into the prison system, exposing the precarious conditions of inmates, the violence, and the difficulties in solving problems. The keyholder reveals a world unknown to the general public and the important mission of the former director of Desipe, marked by victories and defeats, surprises and disappointments.