Latest news and stories about prison system in Portugal for expats and residents.
Eulália Silva was a 'victim' of the 'code of honour' that exists among inmates. She is in the infirmary at Santa Cruz do Bispo.
Rita Alarcão Júdice highlighted that “the completion of this course is essential” for the plan outlined with the aim of closing the Lisbon Prison (EPL).
Plot discovered via an anonymous note. Two murderers are among the four alleged organizers, whom the management kept in the prison.
The National Prison Guard Union has extended the strike until the end of August. The organisation believes that security is still lacking.
Between 2024 and 2025, 608 inmates at the Lisbon Prison (EPL), the country's largest, were unable to attend scheduled external medical appointments or exams because no prison guards were available to escort them. This data was provided by the Ministry of Justice to MP Fabian Figueiredo (Left Bloc) following inquiries into the prison system's conditions. The report highlights a 30% increase in missed appointments in 2025 compared to the previous year. The Ministry also failed to provide clear answers regarding structural overcrowding, the average space per inmate, or specific strategies to address the aging prison population, despite ongoing pressure from the Council of Europe.
The president of the National Union of the Prison Guard Corps, Frederico Morais, criticises the holding of a match between inmates and their children at the Aveiro Prison Establishment on 2 July. The official warns of the risks of the initiative at a time when he says there is still a shortage of guards in Portuguese prisons.
The approximately 50 inmates at the Alentejo prison are expected to leave during the next month. The facility will begin housing men detained in Lisbon.
Portugal is at risk of receiving an unprecedented ruling from the European Court of Human Rights regarding its prison system.
Portugal, alongside Italy, has the oldest prison population in Europe, with an average age of 42, compared to the European average of 37.5, according to data released this Tuesday by the Council of Europe. In the annual report on prison populations for 2024 — which includes some data that already covers...
The report published in this edition of Diário de Notícias, written by journalist Fernanda Câncio, is significant for how it exposes the shameful reality of prisons in Portugal. The state of Portuguese prisons is an uncomfortable portrait of a country that considers itself modern and civilised, yet maintains a system that violates basic human dignity, with thousands living in appalling conditions of hygiene and safety. This situation is explained by the indifference of successive governments, as prisoners lack the political, economic, or social influence to demand better conditions. The system remains underfunded, leading to overcrowding and a lack of genuine social reintegration strategies. As Isaltino Morais recently noted in an interview with SIC, prisons are a world apart where guards hold the real power, while directors remain distant figures. This testimony confirms what national and international reports have long denounced. Beyond the human rights failure, the article argues that failing to invest in rehabilitation is a public safety issue, as prisons currently function as 'crime academies' that foster recidivism rather than reform. The author concludes that the government must address this issue regardless of the political cost.
The Independent Prison Guard Corps Union (SICGP) has warned parliament about a new type of inmate linked to organized drug trafficking groups, specifically the PCC, which poses significant security risks. Union president Júlio Rebelo highlighted the aging workforce, the lack of communication jammers, and the ongoing issue of contraband entering via drones. He also noted that the prison system is short by 1,400 guards and criticized the proposal to lower the recruitment age to 18, advocating instead for more rigorous entry requirements.
The prisoner, who has around twenty convictions for various crimes, including theft, robbery, and drug trafficking, has been at Monsanto prison since September 2023.
While the Government works on a plan to reorganise the prison system, others are advocating for measures to reduce the reliance on incarceration.
Reorganisation creates a female prison desert in the south of the country, with the conversion of Odemira into a male prison.
230 prisoners from Wing B of the Lisbon Prison Establishment refused breakfast, medication, and returning to their cells. Only the arrival of the GISP resolved the situation.
230 prisoners from wing B refused breakfast and morning medication this Monday.
The political party Iniciativa Liberal has raised concerns regarding the critical levels of overcrowding at the Braga correctional facility.
President of the prison chiefs' union paints a bleak picture. The average age of the staff is 50 years old.
The latest report highlights ongoing concerns regarding the treatment of inmates within the Portuguese prison system.
Nuno Barbosa, known as 'Brad Pitt', received a two-year suspended sentence.
The union says it was not consulted on the decision and has requested a meeting with the Ministry of Justice.
Moisés Fonseca was caught with groceries hidden by the guards at Carregueira prison.
Portuguese prisons reached their maximum capacity level in 2025 for the first time in six years, revealed the Annual Internal Security Report (RASI), delivered today to the Assembly of the Republic.
The year 2025 ended with an occupancy rate of 103.4% in prisons.
Renovations are underway in 11 correctional facilities, and 1,142 new spaces for inmates will be opened in other establishments by the end of 2028 to accommodate the transfer of prisoners from the Lisbon Prison Establishment, she said.
According to the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services, most of these inmates are serving additional sentences for homicide or robbery. In 2024, only 28% completed their full sentence.
According to the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services, most of these inmates are serving additional sentences for homicide or robbery. In 2024, only 28% completed their full sentence.
The prison guard leadership union has joined an injunction filed by an association that seeks to prevent transgender women who have not completed the full physical transition process from being placed in female prisons.
Hugo began using drugs and arrived in prison at a young age. In jail, his mental health problems worsened and, despite his grandparents' pleas, he ended up killing a cellmate.
In 2025, guards carried out 313 such seizures. In 2023, there had been 37. K4 is the most concerning.
