Rita Alarcão Júdice explained that the installation of signal inhibitors in the Vale de Judeus prison will be implemented soon and that, if successful, it will be applied in the remaining prisons.
The Minister of Justice said on Tuesday in parliament that signal inhibitors are already being installed in the Vale de Judeus prison and that she hopes to have a prison reorganization plan by March.
Heard at the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees, Rita Alarcão Júdice explained that the pilot project related to the installation of signal inhibitors in the Vale de Judeus prison, will be put into practice soon and, if successful, will be applied to other prison establishments.
A installation should have been completed by the end of the year 2025with the minister responsible for Justice explaining to the deputies that the contract had to be made through contracting excluded for security reasons and that they had problems clearing customs of the equipment, since Portugal does not produce this equipment and it was imported.
In addition to blocking cell phone signals, signal jammers also block drone use, “which are currently used to dispose of drugs and cell phones in prisons“, added the minister.
The subject of prisons was addressed by all the deputies of the Constitutional Affairs Committee, who pointed out the security flaws, the conditions that lead Portugal to be condemned by the European Court of Human Rights, overcrowding and the working conditions of prison guards.
Rita Alarcão Júdice said that wants to have the prison reorganization plan closed by March.
“We already have proposals made by the General Directorate [de Reinserção e dos Serviços Prisionais]some still don’t agree with what I understand. We need more structural solutions”, he explained.
The person responsible for the Justice portfolio mentioned that he considers some changes to be fundamental, giving as an example the creation of a new mental health unit in the Santa Cruz do Bispo prison.
Regarding the closure of the Lisbon Prison Establishment, Rita Alarcão Júdice assumed that this “It’s a challenge”, taking into account that there are around 800 more prisoners in prisons than there is one, “which corresponds to a large prison establishment”.
“We don’t see that this trend [de aumento do número de presos] will decrease in the near future”, added the Minister of Justice, also saying that one of the hypotheses for reorganizing the prison system could involve the requalification of the southern stronghold of the Caxias prison, which is vacant. The objective is to “remodel what exists so as not to build from scratch”, she considered.
Still in relation to the prisoners, Rita Alarcão Júdice was asked why no pardon was sent to the President of the Republic, having explained that the requests made by lawyers, prisoners or their families were analyzed, but none deserved to be sent to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
“More than half of the requests concern crimes of violence against minors and women”, explained the minister.
