The prison services have initiated an investigation into allegations that an inmate in the Azores was placed in solitary confinement in a cell without a mattress and later required medical attention at a hospital emergency department, the Minister of Justice announced today.
In a statement, the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP) responded to a complaint from the Portuguese Association for Inmate Support (APAR) regarding the inmate on Terceira Island. The organization emphasized having “zero tolerance for inhumane behavior.”
The DGRSP reiterated “its commitment to upholding human rights and legality” and expressed a strong dedication to “establishing the facts and responsibilities involved.”
The investigation is being conducted by the Audit and Inspection Service, coordinated by a magistrate from the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Previously, at the conclusion of the inauguration ceremony of the new facilities for the Southern Directorate of the PJ in Faro, Justice Minister Rita Alarcão Júdice stated that “an ongoing inquiry is underway, and as a result, appropriate measures will be taken.”
The complaint indicates that an inmate at the Angra do Heroísmo Prison on Terceira Island has been hospitalized in serious condition since April 26, after being found collapsed in his confinement cell exhibiting signs of hypothermia. The cell allegedly lacked even a mattress.
The National Union of the Prison Guard Corps highlighted last week the “lack of security conditions” at the prisons in Ponta Delgada and Angra do Heroísmo.
In a statement to the Lusa news agency, union president Frederico Morais mentioned on April 24 that the inmate “returned from hospital admission and was placed in isolation in a cell without a mattress,” requiring medical attention at the emergency department due to respiratory issues.
“We are not equipped to have a psychiatric patient in a prison facility. We are not doctors. In such cases, inmates should be placed in specialized clinics,” said Frederico Morais, advocating for a “thorough inspection” of the Angra do Heroísmo prison.
