Interview
Rita Alarcão Júdice
Minister of Justice, Portugal
For Minister of Justice Rita Alarcão Júdice, the justice system must be viewed from the citizen’s perspective—ensuring that all institutions, from courts to prisons, serve the population effectively.
In this interview, we discuss how this vision translates into action within Portugal’s criminal justice system. Rita Júdice addresses the persistent challenges in the penal system and outlines the government’s efforts to modernise prison infrastructure, improve healthcare for incarcerated individuals, and introduce digital solutions to enhance rehabilitation and reintegration.
The Minister highlights the challenges of ensuring security while promoting rehabilitation, emphasising that the success of a prison system should not be measured solely by how it enforces sentences, but by how it prepares individuals for life beyond its walls.
What is your vision for the justice system in Portugal, and what are the key areas of focus during your term?
RAJ: When we talk about justice, the first thing that comes to mind is often the functioning of the courts. However, as Minister of Justice, my concerns go beyond that. They include the prison system and reintegration, youth detention centres, victim protection, the Judiciary Police, civil registries, forensic medicine, intellectual property, judicial training, the technology and infrastructure that support justice, and, of course, the administration and management of the courts.
Judges are responsible for applying justice, but it is the government that defines justice policy, and the Ministry of Justice, in particular, that manages justice resources.
With this in mind, all areas deserve my attention, but the main challenge is to view justice from the citizen’s perspective — always remembering that the justice system exists to serve the people. I expect all justice institutions and organisations to keep this in mind and to commit to delivering high-quality and timely services.
What progress has been made in Portugal’s penal system, and what changes do you see as essential for its improvement?
RAJ: Portugal’s penal system is based on humanist and progressive principles, but in practice, this isn’t always reflected — especially in prison sentencing.
There are well-known, persistent challenges, particularly regarding detention conditions and the availability of material and human resources. These issues have drawn criticism from international human rights bodies, the result of years of underinvestment.
Despite this, there have been positive steps forward. Our prison and reintegration services have developed a number of rehabilitation and reintegration initiatives that stand out as good practices. Through arts, projects like Opera in Prison and Corpos em Cadeia (Bodies in Chains) have made a significant impact on many young incarcerated persons. In sports, a programme designed to promote regular rugby practice in prisons as a tool for education, training, and social reintegration, was recognised with a European Fair Play Award.
There are also several projects focused on sustainability and social responsibility. Vertical Horticulture, Horizontal Solidarity combines innovative farming techniques with healthier nutrition for incarcerated individuals, while also supplying fresh produce to disadvantaged families. Freedom Crickets trains young convicted persons to produce sustainable protein by farming crickets for human consumption. Another key initiative, Pelos 2, is an animal therapy programme in which incarcerated individuals from various northern prisons train dogs, fostering rehabilitation through responsibility and care.
Modernising healthcare in prisons has also been a priority. The transition to digital medical records, integrating them with the National Health Service, is nearing completion, ensuring continuity and better medical care for those under our custody. In parallel, we are gradually shifting the responsibility for prison healthcare management to the Ministry of Health.
When it comes to social reintegration and improving working conditions for individuals in custody, we are working with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to introduce new legislation regulating prison work. The goal is to bring prison labour conditions as close as possible to those outside — while adapting to specific constraints — and to ensure access to social protection.
On the staffing side, we have taken significant steps to improve the career framework for prison officers. At the same time, we are upgrading prison facilities and strengthening security systems—because without safety and order, rehabilitation becomes much harder.
A lot has been done since we took office, but we know there is still much to do.
Our focus remains on improving prison conditions, valuing the professionals who work in the system, and investing in work and rehabilitation programmes that genuinely support reintegration and reduce reoffending.
What is the government’s plan for modernising prison infrastructure and improving conditions for both incarcerated persons and staff?
RAJ: We have accelerated investment in prison facilities, with improvement projects covering all 49 prisons in the country. These efforts are also guided by recommendations from a security audit we commissioned from the Inspectorate-General of Justice Services, completed at the end of 2024.
The report highlighted critical weaknesses in both physical and technological infrastructure, which are now being addressed through a structured, phased intervention plan managed by the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services.
Some cases, however, require more urgent action. In São Miguel Prison in the Azores, where a new facility will be built from scratch, and in Lisbon Prison, which is set to close, urgent maintenance work is already underway to ensure minimum standards of dignity and safety. We could not allow severely deteriorated conditions in these facilities to continue while they remain in use.
In September 2024, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe highlighted the lack of a comprehensive strategy to reduce prison overcrowding, which affected more than half of Portugal’s prisons. How do you assess this issue? Is there a need to expand the use of alternative sentences?
RAJ: At a national level, prison overcrowding is not a systemic issue, but some facilities do operate above capacity. This is largely due to factors such as the need to place individuals in custody closer to their families, social networks, or the courts handling their cases.
That said, we must take a closer look at the underlying reasons for Portugal’s relatively high incarceration rate, as well as the length of prison sentences, which Council of Europe data shows to be above average.
Portugal’s legal framework already allows for a broad range of non-custodial sentences and alternative measures, and courts make frequent use of them.
The real challenge lies in ensuring that all sentences — whether served in prison or in the community — are genuinely effective. Support and intervention must be robust enough to fulfil their core purpose: preventing reoffending.
Portugal has been driving modernisation in the justice system, including the prison sector. What is the current stage of implementation for ongoing initiatives, such as the installation of in-cell telephones? What other modernisation projects would you highlight?
RAJ: Technology is playing a key role in making the penal system both more humane and more efficient. As mentioned earlier, the digitalisation of medical records and their integration into the National Health Service system began last year and is now in its final stages.
Following a successful pilot programme in several prisons, the installation of telephones in living areas is being rolled out nationwide, with completion expected by the end of this semester.
Another pilot project currently in progress will allow people in custody to access a secure digital platform for submitting requests and safely consulting online resources. Already being tested in three facilities, this initiative aims to improve digital literacy, facilitate access to information, and streamline administrative processes.
These two measures not only strengthen external communication in a structured and secure way but also help equip individuals with essential digital skills.
Additionally, we are modernising the IT systems of the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services to ensure better data integration and interoperability, leading to a more efficient management system.
How do you view the role of adopting good practices — whether through national innovations or international references — in improving Portugal’s prison system?
RAJ: Looking at what other countries are doing and understanding the impact of different policies is always valuable. Whenever we introduce reforms—whether legislative or operational—we conduct a thorough review of laws and practices from other jurisdictions, as well as recommendations from international organisations.
At the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services, this perspective is embedded in the work of the Centre for Studies, Research, and Planning. This unit is responsible for developing research and applied studies on key areas such as recidivism, victim protection, and the impact of rehabilitation measures. It also plays a central role in assessing the effectiveness of intervention programmes and ensuring that methodologies used within the prison and educational tutelary systems are continuously reviewed and improved. It actively collaborates with counterpart institutions and research bodies, both in Portugal and abroad, fostering the exchange of best practices and ensuring that the approaches used in our prison system remain informed and up to date.
Portugal has also contributed with initiatives that have gained recognition, such as some of the projects I previously mentioned. Several have been distinguished internationally within the prison sector, including Vertical Horticulture, Horizontal Solidarity, which won the Prison Achievement Award from EuroPris. We hope that some of the progress we are making can, in turn, serve as inspiration for other jurisdictions.
Rita Alarcão Júdice
Minister of Justice, Portugal
Rita Alarcão Júdice has been Portugal’s Minister of Justice since April 2024. She holds a law degree from the Faculty of Law at Universidade Católica Portuguesa and has more than 25 years of experience as a lawyer specialising in real estate law. From 2013 to 2023, she was a partner at PLMJ, one of Portugal’s leading law firms. Rita Júdice also served as housing coordinator for the National Strategic Council of the Social Democratic Party and was elected as a Member of Parliament in the 2024 elections.
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