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Portugal

Capital city — Lisbon

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Panorama

Living conditions

Accommodation

The law establishes a minimum standard for living space per prisoner

no

The size of the cells and the equipment they contain conform to European Prison Rules, which recommend, without providing figures that cells satisfy the minimum standards of human dignity1.

Architect Jorge Mealha visited prisons in 2022 in preparation for new constructions. He found that prisoners were crammed into cells of 20 to 30 square metres, freezing in winter and sweltering in summer, with nothing to do but watch television. Most establishments have only dormitories and it is very difficult to obtain information on the number of people per cell.

  1. European Prison Observatory, “Prison conditions in Portugal”, 2013, p. 10. ↩

  • The CPT criticises the maintenance and size of certain cells, which are below the minimum standard of 4 m2 of personal space per incarcerated person. It once again recommended that authorities respect this standard in shared cells and increase the space in individual cells to 6 m2.

    i
    2023
    / CPT, “Report to the Portuguese Government on the periodic visit to Portugal carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 23 May to 3 June 2022”, p. 5.

Prisoners are accommodated in single cells

yes

Prisoners are placed in individual cells. Prisoners may be placed in collective enclosures in the following cases:

  • To meet the needs of families (a mother/father and their child)

  • To prevent risk of physical or psychological harm

  • In the case of a lack of space in the facility (article 34 of the Prison Rules)

Prisoners sleep on

a bed

All the prisoners are provided with bedding

yes

Cells each have a mattress, a bed, bed linens, a chair and a cupboard.

Cells are fitted with a window that can be opened.

In its 2020-2022 report, the Portuguese Bar Association’s Human Rights Commission (CDHOA) criticises the “damp and mouldy” state of cells in the Ponta Delgada correctional facility. The report also notes that the windows in one of the prison blocks are not wide enough, leading to a lack of natural light and poor air circulation. However, in the medical unit of the same facility, air circulation and natural light are satisfactory. The Commission observed similar conditions in the Odemira prison.1

  1. Portuguese Bar Association’s Human Rights Commission (CDHOA), “Relatório Visitas Estabelecimentos Prisionais 2020-2022”, 2023, pp. 13, 21. (in Portuguese) ↩

The cells/dormitories are provided with electric lighting

yes

The Portuguese Bar Association’s Human Rights Commission (CDHOA) notes in its 2020-2022 report that one wing of the Lisbon prison is shrouded in darkness, as it lacks light bulbs. The report suggests that the bulbs are either being removed or broken by the prisoners.1

  1. Portuguese Bar Association’s Human Rights Commission (CDHOA), “Relatório Visitas Estabelecimentos Prisionais 2020-2022”, 2023, p. 12. (in Portuguese) ↩

The cells/dormitories are equipped with heating and/or air conditioning

no

Prisoners are authorised to equip their cells with an electrical heating appliance or air conditioning unit, at their own expense.

Prisoners can smoke

  • in cells

  • in communal areas

Tobacco consumption is a criterion to assign prisoners to a cell (article 18 of the Regulations).

Hygiene

Prisoners have access to water

in their cell

Showers are located in the cells/dormitories

no

Prisoners have a right to one shower per day. The water must be hot.

Types of sanitary facilities

toilets

Regulations provide for a washbasin and toilet or equivalent sanitary facilities in each cell (article 34 of the Regulations).

The facilities where prisoners are housed are equipped with a WC.

The prison service provides personal hygiene products free of charge

only for new arrivals and destitute prisoners

Prisoners can buy personal hygiene products.

The prison service provides cleaning products free of charge

yes

Beddings are refreshed

yes, once a week

Bed linen changes are the responsibility of prisoners.

Rubbish is collected from cells once a day.

Food

Drinking water is free and available in all areas of the facilities

yes

Number of meals per day

3

An additional meal is served at snack time.

Daily cost of meals per prisoner

$3.48

Private companies are awarded €3.20 per day and per person to meet dietary needs.

Food services are managed by

private food services

The prison service provides food that respects special dietary needs

yes

Specific diets are available for medical reasons and, “where possible”, for religious or philosophical reasons (article 45 of the Regulations).

Prisoners eat their meals in

a communal dining area

In the absence of a dining hall, the governor of the facility determines where meals are to be eaten.

Prisoners placed in a disciplinary cell eat their meals in the cell.

Lisbon’s prison has eight cafeterias for its prisoners. In January 2023, one is shut down because of a ceiling collapse risk. As a result, about 130 prisoners had to eat their meals in their cells for at least a month.

Prisoners can buy food products

yes

Each facility has a canteen service where prisoners can buy food and non-food products. The DGRSP determines which products are made available to the prisoners.
The cost of the products is deducted from the prisoner’s personal account. The DGRSP determines the maximum amount of purchases (Article 50 of the Regulations).
Automatic vending machines give access to coffee, water, soft drinks, baked goods, and tobacco (article 51 of the Regulations).

Prisoners are allowed to cook in their cells or in a shared space

in some facilities

Prisoners are allowed to cook in their cells or in a shared space designated for that purpose.

Prisoners are allowed to receive food parcels

yes

Visitors are allowed to bring one food package every week weighing a maximum of 1 kg. On the occasion of a birthday, they can bring a pre-sliced cake weighing a maximum of 2 kg. Beverages are forbidden (article 48 of the Regulations).

Part of the prisoner's food is produced by the prison

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