Interpersonal Relations and Dialogical Exchanges at the Alternative Penal Institution

The aim of this article is to discuss dialogical conflicts experienced by men deprived of their freedom in a prison system in which the person assumes a dual position: he fulfills his sentence but participates in the administration of the penal institution as responsible for security. It is one of the results of a qualitative research, which consisted of a case study an alternative method of serving a custodial sentence. We will here selectively discuss the results of 12 visits to the institution to observe how interpersonal relationships tended to occur; information were recorded in a field diary, and interviews with 18 people were carried out with prior consent. From the interactions of the institutionalized men, in which they shared joyful and sad experiences in the institutional context, emerged a field of mutual affect, dialogical and affective-cognitive exchanges relevant to the construction of the Self. Because intersubjective sharing is never complete, the research allowed us to understand how people can conduct the course of their action to-wards a personal separation regarding interpersonal and institutional relationships, and strengthening more nonverbal self-reflexive attitudes.