CHALLENGES OF RESTORATIVE JUSTICE IN RIO BRANCO: A CASE STUDY ON UMEP’S REFLEXIVE GROUPS AND CIAP'S CARE IN THE MARIA DA PENHA LAW

Abstract

This article analyzes the structural challenges and institutional tensions in the application of the Maria da Penha Law (Law No. 11.340/2006) in Rio Branco, Acre, from the perspective of Critical Criminology, Feminist Criminology, and the Restorative Paradigm. This is a case study focused on the Electronic Monitoring Unit for Individuals (UMEP) and the Integrated Center for Alternative Penalties (CIAP), aiming to investigate the gap between judicial speed in granting protective measures and the material limitations in the execution phase of rehabilitation policies. The methodological approach is qualitative-quantitative, combining bibliographic research, documentary analysis of secondary institutional data from COSIV/TJAC and IPEA/SENAPPEN, and field research with content analysis. The findings reveal a significant statistical contrast: the overall national recidivism rate without intervention reaches 48.3% over eleven years (2010-2021), while the national average after reflective groups falls to 7%, converging with the local rate, where participation in Reflective Groups reduces recidivism to 8% over seven years of monitoring (2018-2024). However, this effectiveness is undermined by budgetary constraints of the state Executive Branch, materialized in the scarcity of psychologists, lack of physical infrastructure, and lengthy waiting lists. It is concluded that consolidating Restorative Justice in the district requires macro-institutional criminal policy guidelines, recommending technical cooperation agreements and university extension partnerships to enable psychosocial and pedagogical support for the protection network.