You can’t make this stuff up.
In the Federal District state of Brazil, where Brazil’s national capital is found, Federal Police have organized a beauty pageant for female prisoners called Miss Penitenciária, or Miss Inmate. One hundred and twenty prisoners entered the contest, and twelve were chosen as the winners.
Volunteers helped the women with their hair and make-up, and a local store lent clothing to the contestants. Each contestant paraded in front of the judges in three parts: the evening gown portion, the casual wear portion, and the swimsuit portion. The top three queens were chosen, as well as “Miss Simpatia” (Miss Congeniality).
The results of the pageant were positive all around. Prison officials claim that prisoner behavior greatly improved. Since the contestants knew they could be eliminated for fighting or any misbehavior, they cleaned up their act, and their fellow inmates did as well in solidarity to the contestants.
The inmates were also really pleased with the pageant. After spending significant time in jail, the women give up on trying to be pretty, but the pageant helped lift their spirits and their self-esteem.
“Nós queremos fazer que as pessoas vejam que não somos apenas internas.
Somos cidadãs iguais a eles e queremos mostrar que temos valor também“, said one inmate. “We want people to see that we’re not just prisoners. We’re citizens just like everyone else and we want to show that we too have worth.”
The winners didn’t just gain self-esteem and a change of pace in prison life: there were prizes up for grabs, too: R$2,500 in total, with R$1,000 in a savings account and a career training course awarded to the top queen.
