This work intends to analize the discourse of a convict, aiming to examine how are performed resistance practices against the system which has temporarily deprived him of social interaction. The idea of resistance identity is adopted in this study as the one built by actors who find themselves in stigmatized and devalued social positions caused by a process of domination (Castells, 1999; Bourdieu, 1998; Bauman, 2001), or by actors which oppose someone or something because of particular perceptions of themselves or of others (Ewick e Silbey, 2003). The interviews for data generation were given by inmates in a prison in Rio de Janeiro City. Based on Interactional Sociolinguistics principles, this work prioritizes the narrative analysis of a prisoner, João, using the criteria for analysis developed by Labov (1972) associated with the narrative studies of life stories presented by Linde (1993) and narratives of resistance by Ewick and Silbey (2003). The data analysis shows that João’s discourse may be considered as a discouse of resistance, specifically resistance to identity of a criminal (socially essentialized). João uses general terms and gives emphasis to the agency of others in his histories, minimizing the impact noticed by his interlocutors for criminal acts described. Therefore, João considers the regular cases of adversity, injustice and restriction, some of the causes for his relations to a life of crimes and for his critical stance towards governmental institutions and representatives, just as if they do not justify, at least enlighten the reasons for his transgressions.