The prisoners have access to sports, and social and cultural activities. External educational, cultural, artistic or sports entities organise social or cultural activities in prison. In 2017, there were 282 entities for social and cultural activities, and 112 for physical and sports activities.

In its 2020-2022 report, the Portuguese Bar Association’s Human Rights Commission expressed concern over the insufficient activities available for prisoners to engage in during their free time.¹

The terms and frequency of access are determined by the director of each facility. The DGRSP has the obligation to promote partnerships with public, private, consular, or diplomatic institutions that aim to keep the available materials permanently up-to-date (Article 94 of the Regulations).

The remuneration of persons deprived of their freedom is greatly inferior to that paid externally. It varies according to whether a person works for the prison establishment or for a private company. In the latter case, pay is higher but remains vastly inferior to that in the rest of the country.

Portuguese law enacts the general principles governing the organisation and remuneration of work (Chapter II of the Code governing the enforcement of sentences). Fair pay is due. Remuneration is divided into four equal parts:

• Personal purchases

• Assistance upon leaving prison (this sum is returned to the prisoner upon release from prison)

• Where applicable: payment of fines, compensating civil parties and other penal obligations

• Where applicable: payment of family support

The availability of occupational training programmes varies from one facility to another. Vocational training courses are set up according to the needs and resources of each establishment. Priority is given to the training of young prisoners (article 40 of the Code governing the enforcement of sentences).
For example, Viseu prison offers a variety of short-term vocational training courses due to the short period of incarceration of most of the prisoners. These programmes include road works, building maintenance and farming. A total of 36 trades are available, including cleaning, maintenance and organisation of communal areas, agriculture, metalwork, carpentry and prison renovation work.

The Caxias prison facility boasts a pottery workshop. This space is equipped to employ and train four to six prisoners at a time, aiming to enhance their professional and social skills.

Prisoners should be given the opportunity to keep themselves informed of “relevant public events”, in particular by having access to newspapers, magazines, books, and radio and television broadcasts (article 74 of the Code for the enforcement of punishment). Each warden is free to adjust this general rule accordingly. Access to the media varies by institution.

The freedom of conscience, religion and worship of the prisoner is guaranteed by law. The right to religious assistance and the practice of acts of worship must be respected. The right to the assistance of a religious minister and the right to possess religious objects may be restricted only for reasons of order and security.

Religious assistance takes place outside normal visiting hours (see section on visitation rights). In the event of serious illness of the prisoner, derogations may be granted to extend or add religious visits (Title X of the code for sentence enforcement: religious assistance).

Each prison has at least one room dedicated to the practice of worship. A single room can be used for the practice of several religions, which sometimes makes the practice of these religions complicated. The same room is sometimes used for both prayer and worship.

Regular religious assistance, guaranteed by the presence of chaplains in prison, is possible when justified by the number of prisoners with the same religious beliefs.

The nominative account is funded by the prisoner, when they have paid work, by their relatives, by the pension or retirement they receive.

The turnout rates for prisoners in the 2021 and 2022 elections are as follows:

• legislative elections 2022: 2,871 votes, 30% of the prison population
• presidential elections 2021: 2,431 votes, 25.3
• municipal elections 2021: 1,665 votes, 16.8