Federal Court orders Rio Grande do Norte to continue prison construction in Natal

A Federal Court has ordered the Government of Rio Grande do Norte to proceed with the construction of a new prison unit in the Potengi neighborhood, located in the North Zone of Natal. Judge Moniky Mayara Costa Fonseca Dantas, of the 5th Federal Court of RN, issued the decision on Friday, imposing a R$ 100,000 fine in the event of non-compliance.

The ruling prevents the state government from taking any administrative, budgetary, or material measures that would result in the revocation, suspension, or halting of the project. This follows an announcement by Governor Fátima Bezerra to revoke the bidding process due to negative feedback from local residents. However, the court noted that the bidding had already been ratified, the contract signed, and the service order issued on August 25.

The project has an estimated budget of R$ 8.39 million, with R$ 6.48 million provided by the National Penitentiary Fund and approximately R$ 1.91 million coming from the state government.