Institucionalismo punitivo : Debilidad estatal y la construcción del Estado penal

This paper presents a theoretical tool for analysing penal changes using the relations between state building, civilizing narratives and penal practices. The paper suggests the concept of penal institutionalism outlined from data collected in a case study about Colombian penal practices. The concept helps understanding and tracking penal narratives and its influence on penal practices. The penal institutionalism consists in a wide range of dynamic narratives and actors conditioned by historical forms of dominance, that supposed that State weakness may explain why certain States fail in governing security. Such narratives legitimize violence as the primary strategy for building security. In order to do so, penal institutionalism use civilizing narratives comparing Global North and South to highlight the inadequacy of State institutions in the South. The comparison simplifies social problems to defend that strengthening the Penal State is the best way to guarantee security in the Global South.