9 Square metres

“You are sitting in your prison cell in 40°C and every day repeats itself until you go mad. The only thing we can do about it is sing or play cards” says Sofia, one of six women who share a cell of nine square metres. Aline, Jäty, Jhais, Han, Sofia and Madya are held indefinitely for violent offenses and drug dealing in the Brazilian state of Amazonas. According to them, there is no warrant or judicial order for any of them. This is common practice and causes severe tensions between inmates and guards. Every year hundreds of inmates die during violent contentions in Brazilian prisons.