Miss Prisoner

If it were not for the poor-quality tattoos on the ankles of some contestants, lack of air conditioning and the presence of uniformed female guards, it would seem like a normal beauty pageant. The Miss Prisoner contest in Rio’s Talavera Bruce prison is one of a kind, as is the penitentiary itself in a country notorious for inhuman prison conditions.

‘‘Rescuing woman’s self-esteem’’ was the slogan that hung above the catwalk where 17 women out of 310 Talavera Bruce prisoners paraded on Friday.

‘‘It was wonderful for all of us as it fills us with spirit to endure the suffering that we have here,’’ said Maria Aguilera, a Bolivian serving a term for drug trafficking.