Portugal
Capital city — Lisbon
Latest updates
Number of medical staff (FTE)
115
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The army has been training prison staff in disinfection procedures.
Prisoners are allowed to make external phone calls
Detainees may make calls at their own expense. They may receive calls in the case of particularly important personal or professional situations.
The general regulations of each institution may have restrictions on prisoners placed under a security regime. Decisions to restrict calls are the responsibility of the prison director.
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During the Covid-19 pandemic, the prison authorities have tripled the number of telephone calls that prisoners are allowed to make.
There are designated places for cultural activities
yes
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The Justice and Culture ministers have organised the screening of 70 films in prisons and education centres during the Covid-19 pandemic.
All prisoners have the right to receive visits
There are two types of visits:
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Regular visits by a family member or a relative. These visits take place twice a week for a maximum of one hour.
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Extended visits by a family member or a loved one on a special occasion. The visits are put into place six months after the prisoner has been administered.
Prisoners under a security regime are not allowed to receive extended visits.
Prisoners placed in solitary confinement temporarily lose access to their right to receive visits (see Solitary Confinement section).
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The Justice Minister has announced that 42 of the 49 prisons in the country have been adapted to allow visits to resume during the coronavirus pandemic. He has indicated that visits recommenced in 14 prisons on 15 June 2020. He believes that visits will be able to resume in all prisons by the end of June.
Sentence adjustments can be granted during the incarceration
The sentence may be adjusted during its execution in the form of house arrest under electronic surveillance. The length of the remaining sentence to be served must be less than one year (Article 44 of the Penal Code). No information regarding the possibility of receiving a reduced sentence is available.
Parole may be granted, with the consent of the sentenced person, on three conditions:
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Half of the sentence has been served.
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The time already served exceeds six months.
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The sentenced person must prove their good behaviour during imprisonment.
If the sentence imposed is more than six years’ imprisonment, parole is only possible after five-sixths of the sentence have been served (article 61 of the Penal Code).
There is a mechanism for “adaptation” to parole. It allows the sentenced person to request release one year before the established legal limit. During this adaptation period, the sentenced person is subjected to house arrest under electronic surveillance.
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1,867 prisoners have been freed since the beginning of April.
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The political party Chega has presented a bill which would result in prisoners released under Covid-19 control measures being returned to prison. The Higher Council of the Judiciary has criticised this bill and regards it as unconsitutional. The Bar Association, which also disagrees with the bill, considers that returning prisoners to custody would increase the risk of spreading the virus in prisons.
Overcrowding is an issue for specific types of prison facilities
yes
Overcrowding affects average-complexity establishments.
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High-complexity establishments held 9,631 people in January 2020. There are 21 of them. The occupancy rate of these establishments is 94%. In January 2020, average-complexity establishments, held 3,054 people. There are 27 of them. The occupancy rate is 114%.