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World Prison Brief data

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Overview News & Reports Resources & Organisations Further Information

Country Portugal

Ministry responsible Ministry of Justice

General Directorate of Reintegration and Prisons (Direção-

Prison administration
Geral de Reinserção e Serviços Prisionais - DGRSP)

Travessa da Cruz do Torel, No. 1, 1150-122 LISBON Codex,

Contact address
Portugal

Telephone +351 21 881 2200

Fax +351 21 885 3653

Website https://dgrsp.justica.gov.pt/

Head of prison administration Rui Joao Abrunhosa de Carvalho Goncalves

(and title) Director General

Prison population total (including 12 367

pre-trial detainees / remand at 1.10.2023 (national prison administration - includes 187 in
prisoners) psychiatric institutions)

118
Prison population rate (per
based on an estimated national population of 10.50 million at
100,000 of national population)
beginning of October 2023 (from Statistics Portugal figures)

Pre-trial detainees / remand 21.9%

prisoners (percentage of prison (1.10.2023)
population) Further Information

Female prisoners (percentage of 7.5%

prison population) (1.10.2023)
Further Information
Juveniles / minors / young
0.3%
prisoners incl. definition
(1.1.2021 - minors)
(percentage of prison population)

Foreign prisoners (percentage of 16.4%

prison population) (1.10.2023)

49
Number of establishments /
(2015 - 17 central prisons, 4 special prisons, 27 regional prisons,
institutions
1 'Cadeia de Apoio')

12 663
Official capacity of prison system
(1.10.2023 - not including places in psychiatric institutions)

Occupancy level (based on official 96.2%

capacity) (1.10.2023 - not including prisoners in psychiatric institutions)

2000 12,944 126

2002 13,918 133
2004 13,152 125
2006 12,636 120
2008 10,807 102
Prison population trend
2010 11,613 110
(year, prison population total,
prison population rate) 2012 13,614 130
2014 14,003 135
2016 13,779 134
2018 12,900 125
2020 11,424 111
Further information

16,000

13,918 14,003 13,779

13,614
14,000 12,944 13,152 12,900
12,636
11,613 11,424
12,000
10,807

10,000

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020

Prison population total

140
Prison population130
rate
126 125 125
135 134
133 120
120
110 111

102
100

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020