Bibliographic review of the documentary “La Peni... El fin de una vergüenza” (1980)

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of the Central Penitentiary of San José based on a documentary from the Archivo de la Imagen de Costa Rica, with the aim of examining its historical, social, and institutional role. Based on this, three main aspects are addressed: the possibility of a space symbolically healing its history, the way incarcerated individuals are represented, and the nature of the documentary in relation to a potential state reform.

The analysis shows conditions of overcrowding, internal violence, and the absence of an effective rehabilitation model, which contributed to the dehumanization of incarcerated individuals, often reduced to mere figures within the system. However, the documentary also introduces a humanistic perspective by highlighting the importance of human rights and the need for a penitentiary model focused on social reintegration.