Police detention centers, located in Brasilia and Salvador, are spartan accommodations, in which inmates sleep on floors or on concrete slabs without pillows or mattresses. Both facilities were overcrowded and dimly lit. However, the author found no evidence of the appalling conditions reported by several human rights organizations, even during one unannounced visit. Police detention centers are designed to house offenders for a maximum 80-day pretrial period, however prison overcrowding sometimes makes it impossible for prisoners to be released within that period. In the three prisons visited, cells were clean, had windows that let in light, were equipped with private showers, and had adequate electric lighting. In all three prisons, inmates were allowed to keep some personal items. All facilities provided inmates with work opportunities, educational programs, and recreational facilities. One aspect of Brazilian correctional policy that needs to be addressed relates to the methods used to quell inmate disturbances. 10 references