
This article examines the implementation of custody hearings in the state of Rio de Janeiro through the institutional practices of data production and systematization by the Judiciary, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and the Public Defender’s Office. Drawing on a literature review, document analysis, administrative data, and interviews with legal practitioners, we investigate how these records reflect divergent interpretations of rights and distinct institutional rationalities. The findings reveal tensions in the consolidation of custody hearings as a public policy, marked by underreporting, lack of standardized indicators, and resistance to incorporating fundamental safeguards. We argue that custody hearings constitute not only a mechanism of judicial oversight but also a potential space for social learning and symbolic dispute over institutional responses to rights violations and penal selectivity. The analysis highlights the importance of systematic data production and dissemination for enhancing the criminal justice system.