Abstract
Objective: To understand the life stories of self-declared black and brown women. Methods: This is a descriptive-exploratory study with a qualitative approach in a female prison in the interior of the state of Sergipe, which has 234 women aged between 18 and 80 years. Three meetings were held that addressed two themes: (1) what his life was like before committing the crime and (2) the meaning of the Occupational Therapy meetings. The themes were addressed through expressive activities such as painting, drawing and writing on paper so that the study participants could express their feelings, emotions and experiences. Results: The relationship between gender, social class and ethnicity was identified through expressive activities. The prejudice practices experienced prior to imprisonment and the stay in the prison system had an impact on the participants' mental health. Conclusion: The meetings with Occupational Therapy professionals promoted the possibility for the participants to understand their feelings, rescue their subjectivities and expand the occupational repertoire. In addition to being able to contribute to the adoption of anti-racist practices and create a space for discussion and reflection on this emerging theme.