The Ministry of Justice has announced that it will investigate issues primarily related to employee absences due to workplace accidents and occupational illnesses, with cases set for review.
This investigation is outlined in a document submitted this week to the Ministry of Justice by the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP), following a plan to enhance security within prisons.
The objective of this report is to provide an update on measures implemented or underway in the first three months of the year, subsequent to a national audit by the General Inspectorate of Justice Services (IGSJ).
The IGSJ audit was conducted following the escape of five inmates from the Vale de Judeus prison on September 7 last year. The resulting report, released at the end of 2024, highlighted concerns regarding the absences of prison guards.
In the section addressing human resources management within prisons, the audit pointed to a “shortage of prison guards on duty, also due to prolonged absences, significantly related to reported on-duty accidents, occupational diseases, and medical leave,” as confirmed by the Ministry of Justice’s statements.
The report submitted this week also reveals that all 49 prisons in the country will undergo renovations, with initial interventions set to begin in June. Identified needs include covering patios, wall requalification, replacing fences, and renewing windows, among others.
The DGRSP is also installing new surveillance systems in some prisons while enhancing existing ones in others. Additionally, central services monitoring will transition to a permanent, 24/7 operation across all 49 facilities.
The current execution report also confirms the installation of mobile and drone signal inhibitors at Vale de Judeus prison, with a pilot project under development. The plan is to eventually extend this initiative to all other prisons. At Vale de Judeus, the project for constructing two surveillance towers is in an advanced stage, according to authorities.
These ongoing measures within prisons stem from the audit assessing the security conditions in the 49 facilities, a process finalized late last year.
The audit report identified deficiencies in equipment, organization, and resource management, concluding the necessity of evaluating prison occupancy levels.
Following the delivery of this execution report, the DGRSP has until June to present a new document. By year’s end, the General Inspectorate of Justice Services is expected to submit another report from a subsequent audit to be conducted during the last three months of the year.
Both the report delivered at the end of last year and the document submitted this week will not be disclosed due to security reasons.
For more information on the upcoming renovations and new surveillance systems:
