There is life between institutional negation and penal populism

toward a democratic public security policy

Abstract

Taking the critique of Brazil’s Anticriminal Organization Law as its starting point, this article examines the limits of approaches that reduce justice and security institutions to unchanging instruments of repression and violence. It argues that this perspective renders invisible victims, public officials committed to the rule of law, the territorial, economic, and political power of criminal factions and militias, and the legitimate demand for criminal accountability and public security. The article advocates a democratic program combining social prevention, targeted law enforcement, evidence-based public security, institutional integrity, and checks on state punishment power. Brazilian experiences demonstrate that gradual reforms can reduce violence, preserve lives, and strengthen democracy, but must be linked to structural reforms to remain sustainable in the long term.