From prison to university: an autobiographic report

Abstract

The work now carried out comprises autobiographical research that brings as subject the first woman in custody in the state of Ceará to enter a Public University through the National High School Exam for Persons Deprived of Liberty, Cynthia Corvello. The main objective of the study is to present aspects of his life, especially in the period of serving his sentence (from 1998 to the present day), which relate to the experience of undergoing the exam, obtaining approval, and entering the Federal University of Ceará in 2012. Therefore, the elements referring to his experience as a graduate student and now a Master’s student in History are of interest to the proposed investigation. Methodologically, we invested in qualitative research along the lines of an autobiographical study. Cynthia Corvello was asked to narrate her life trajectory in writing, highlighting the emotions and feelings that marked her childhood, the moment of imprisonment, submission to the national exam, and admission to the University, sometimes as a graduate student, sometimes as a master student. The results emphasize the contribution of the National High School Examination for Persons Deprived of Liberty policy, which allows people in situations of deprivation of liberty to apply for a place in Higher Education and consequently modify their life histories.