"Tristão e Isolda", "Capitães da Areia" and "A Invenção de Hugo Cabret" were books read by Robinho in prison in Limeira (SP) and which contributed to reducing his sentence. After obtaining three reductions, the former player guaranteed 301 days less to serve his 9-year sentence for rape in Italy.
From a medieval Celtic legend about the ideal of love to a novel of social denunciation, the titles, which are part of the list of books validated by Funap, belong to very different styles and aspects.
Professors specializing in criticism and literary theory, consulted by g1, analyzed the role of these readings, the particularities of the titles and the possible impact of the activity on the resocialization process. See the report below.
Analysts interviewed by g1 agree that encouraging reading is relevant, important and capable of arousing reflection and empathy in readers. On the other hand, they differ to some extent about the impact of the text on the behavior of prisoners.
According to Alexandre Mauro Bragion, professor and doctor in Theory and Literary History at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), the works have different profiles in terms of literary schools, contexts and times of publication.
The professor describes that the work "Tristan and Isolde" acts as a myth of the ideal of impossible love based on loving suffering. "Capitães da Areia", by Jorge Amado, appears as a social novel denouncing delinquent boys in Salvador. "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" presents a more philosophical, existentialist character and focuses on questions about time and memory.
Tristan and Isolde: legend of oral tradition from medieval Celtic/French literature, without a single original author; One of the oldest and most famous manuscript versions preserved is that of the French poet Béroul, in the 12th century, in an original publication around 1170
Capitães da Areia: modernist novel by Jorge Amado, published in 1937, the second phase of Brazilian modernism. It is characterized as a novel of social, regionalist and customs denunciation
The Invention of Hugo Cabret: historical fiction book for children and young adults, written and illustrated by the American Brian Selznick, originally published by Scholastic Press on January 30, 2007. The work was turned into a film, released in 2011.
Impossible love
The expert points out that, in some way, "Tristan and Isolde" also portrays the idea of an ideal of love, often based on loving suffering.
"'Tristan and Isolde' is a classic of universal literature, which comes from the medieval world and creates one of the first myths about the idealization of love. It [myth] is attributed the idea of being a Celtic legend and which also awakens love, an impossible passion. This will be repeated later in other texts. Like the story of Romeo and Juliet, by Shakespeare, two centuries later", observes Bragion.
"To this day, it is in television soap operas, often based on the idea of an impossible love, of an unrealizable love that is very strong, difficult and causes suffering", he comments.
Social aspect
"Capitães da Areia, by Jorge Amado, is a novel that seeks a reflection of a social nature, with an aspect of literature as a denunciation, explains the professor. "Because it also exposes the difficult lives of these boys and a certain determinism, in the sense that it was very difficult for them to seek other paths", he contextualizes.
Jorge Amado is an attentive author, belonging to the so-called Generation of 30 of Brazilian romance, which focused on the country's social issues. Centered on the issues of Bahia and the city of Salvador, in particular, "Capitães da Areia" is a work featuring a series of characters.
"All of them are children, pre-teens and teenagers who commit their crimes, but they have very particular characteristics. The one who likes to study. He is the teacher, but he is unable to study. We have what is religious, without being able to follow a religious life. The boy devoted to love issues, who ends up being a kind of flirt, and who lives off these love issues, takes advantage of them for himself", he states.
"It's a very important novel in the history of Brazilian literature. It deserves it, it needs to be read and known", he defines.
Existential questions
"The Invention of Hugo Cabret", although more distant from Brazilian reality, in the literary theorist's opinion, addresses philosophical-existential themes. "It later became a very successful film that discusses the issue of time, of man in the midst of the city's progress. It is a book that deals with issues very related to memory, belonging, being in life and in the world", he summarizes.
'Literature is fundamental...
Bragion states that literature is fundamental and necessary as art, as knowledge and intellectual pleasure.
"As art, as language and object of enjoyment, literature is part of the world. It is necessary, it is fundamental, including for the existence of others, for human presence in the world, for reflection on life and reflection on being in the world. It is very important that it is present in all systems, whether in the prison system, in the educational system, in each person's daily life", he reinforces.
However, the specialist adds an addendum to advocates of resocialization with the practice of literature as a contribution tool. The professor emphasizes that for inmates with crimes like those who incriminated Robinho, it would be important to also offer works that dialogue with violence against women and the role of the feminine.
He cites authors such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Paulina Chiziane, Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida, Tatiana Salem Levy, Conceição Evaristo and Ana Maria Gonçalves. "To promote reflection on the crimes committed", he adds.
"The issue of the feminine and, in some way, violence against women also becomes an aspect in literature, in my opinion. Thus, the authors have conquered their space, fortunately, and give voice to their narrative, to their texts and can share this type of reflection with us", he comments.
Bragion also lists national authors who discuss the issue of women. "The books by Conceição Evaristo, for example, and a series of other authors who are, today, debating the role of women. I can mention "Um Defeito de Cor", by Ana Maria Gonçalves, the first black Brazilian woman to participate in the Brazilian Academy of Letters", he adds.
... But, it doesn't work miracles alone
In turn, professor and doctor in Literature from Unicamp, Josiane Maria de Sousa, questions the expectations created around the role of reading for people sentenced by justice.
"The first question we should ask ourselves is about the role expected of reading literary texts for people convicted by the courts. It seems to me that they expect a moralizing or punitive role. Literature does neither one thing nor the other. It reminds me of the time when people tried to punish undisciplined students with hours in the library. I hope they don't do that anymore", he criticizes.
The teacher emphasizes that encouraging reading literature, although important, cannot directly transform habits or behaviors.
"There is an expectation that literary texts can transform people's characters in a magical way. It is always good to encourage reading but without imagining that it will have effects on modifying behavior. The development of critical thinking requires a long training of reading skills", he highlights.
Although she considers encouraging reading to be relevant to seeking to establish empathy and reintroduce the relevance of the habit, Josiane emphasizes that the development of critical thinking requires a long development of reading skills.
"Just reading Tristão Isolda will not do this. Reading texts that address social issues is relevant to seek to establish empathy, but it is good to remember that each reader establishes an individual relationship with the text. Reading is relevant and important, but it does not work miracles alone", he concludes.
Penalty reductions
Currently, the former player is imprisoned at the Limeira Resocialization Center (SP), in the interior of São Paulo. In addition to access to literary works, the rebates granted by the Court result from work activities, professional qualifications and studies.
In the studies, the Court considered that Robinho completed 464 hours of high school studies. In addition, there were 11 courses taken by the former athlete in prison. All of this meant he managed to save 49 days.
The other 20 days were redeemed by reading five books during incarceration. Both decisions were approved by the Public Ministry of São Paulo (MP-SP).
On January 14 of this year, the court reduced the sentence by 160 days. At the time, Robinho's defense told g1 that the reduction was achieved through work and studies carried out in prison.
"The reduction of the sentence in Robinho's execution process was not due to an exceptional benefit, but due to the legal recognition of 160 days of redemption, achieved through study and work carried out during the execution of the sentence, under the terms of the Penal Execution Law", declared lawyer Mário Rossi Vale at the time.
This September, Robinho had his sentence reduced by another 72 days. The reduction was motivated by work activities, professional qualification by Senai, studies in the Youth and Adult Education system (EJA) and reading of literary works.
On the other hand, the Court did not consider distance learning courses in the decision.
Prison routine
The Limeira Resocialization Center (CR), the prison unit where former player Robinho is housed, houses first-time offenders, with sentences of less than ten years and not linked to factions. He is seen as a model in the state, has fewer prisoners than average and is considered more "calm" by experts.
Robinho had been imprisoned in P2 in Tremembé, the "prison of the famous", since March 2024. The Penitentiary Administration Secretariat (SAP) reported that the former player was admitted to the CR on November 17th and that the transfer was made following a request from his defense.
The Limeira CR was opened in 2001. Currently, the population in the closed regime is 119 prisoners, but its capacity is for 104. In the semi-open regime, there are 139 prisoners in space for 125. The majority of them come from the region, within a radius of up to ten kilometers from the unit.
g1 found out from a specialist in the prison system that the unit where Robinho was transferred has a more "calm" environment.
"They are not normally overcrowded, they have more job vacancies, and they have a group of prisoners who go to these units, which are normally those who are not factionalized [...] They are small units, with selected prisoners, so it is, yes, a calmer environment [...] They are calmer units, smaller and with more structure, yes", explained the specialist.
Prison
Robinho is serving a 9-year prison sentence for gang rape, which occurred in 2013, in Italy. The transfer of the sentence to the Brazilian prison system was determined by the Italian Court and approved by the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) in 2024.
In Tremembé, for more than a year, the former player shared a common cell with one other inmate. The space is 2 x 4 meters in size and is located in pavilion 1, which is intended for prisoners convicted of high-profile crimes in the country.
