{"id":1948809,"date":"2026-05-22T07:31:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T04:31:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1948809"},"modified":"2026-05-22T07:31:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T04:31:13","slug":"hunger-and-overcrowding-in-europes-prisons-where-does-your-country-stand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1948809","title":{"rendered":"Hunger and overcrowding in Europe&#8217;s prisons: where does your country stand?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/76\/40\/62\/1200x675_cmsv2_34939c74-5be6-504d-9582-f314923fe331-9764062.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2895663-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2895663\" data-cid=\"9768537\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2895663-label-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/76\/83\/50\/189x106_cmsv2_16e2ce7c-8415-5acd-a2b7-b58bce2fe1c6-9768350.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"President Donald Trump takes part in an event devoted to easing federal regulations on refrigerants in the Oval Office of the White House, 21 May 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    More US troops in Poland &#8211; What does the country have to say about it\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2895696-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2895696\" data-cid=\"9768595\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2895696-label-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/76\/85\/03\/189x106_cmsv2_d122a003-e4f1-53d2-9faf-05e61d4e069d-9768503.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Vincent Bollor\u00e9 attends a hearing before a parliamentary inquiry commission at the National Assembly in Paris on Wednesday, 13 March 2024.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Culture news<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Hollywood stars sign petition against Bollor\u00e9\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2895706-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2895706\" data-cid=\"9768549\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2895706-label-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/76\/85\/49\/189x106_cmsv2_2d7ef565-d803-569d-8407-58a5c563c9fb-9768549.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Flames and smoke rise from an Ebola treatment center in Rwampara, Congo, Thursday, May 21, 2026.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Democratic Republic Of Congo<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Angry crowd sets fire to Ebola treatment center in Congo\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2895406-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2895406\" data-cid=\"9766909\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2895406-label-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/76\/69\/09\/189x106_cmsv2_d25c5375-4374-5b67-a60f-053dca9031af-9766909.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Crete is credited for laying the blueprint for the science-backed Mediterranean Diet\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Destinations<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Crete named one of the world\u2019s top dining destinations for 2026\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2895663-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2895663\" data-cid=\"9768537\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2895663-label-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/76\/83\/50\/189x106_cmsv2_16e2ce7c-8415-5acd-a2b7-b58bce2fe1c6-9768350.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"President Donald Trump takes part in an event devoted to easing federal regulations on refrigerants in the Oval Office of the White House, 21 May 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    More US troops in Poland &#8211; What does the country have to say about it\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2895696-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2895696\" data-cid=\"9768595\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2895696-label-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/76\/85\/03\/189x106_cmsv2_d122a003-e4f1-53d2-9faf-05e61d4e069d-9768503.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Vincent Bollor\u00e9 attends a hearing before a parliamentary inquiry commission at the National Assembly in Paris on Wednesday, 13 March 2024.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Culture news<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Hollywood stars sign petition against Bollor\u00e9\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2895706-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2895706\" data-cid=\"9768549\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2895706-label-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/76\/85\/49\/189x106_cmsv2_2d7ef565-d803-569d-8407-58a5c563c9fb-9768549.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Flames and smoke rise from an Ebola treatment center in Rwampara, Congo, Thursday, May 21, 2026.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Democratic Republic Of Congo<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Angry crowd sets fire to Ebola treatment center in Congo\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2895406-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2895406\" data-cid=\"9766909\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2895406-label-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/76\/69\/09\/189x106_cmsv2_d25c5375-4374-5b67-a60f-053dca9031af-9766909.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Crete is credited for laying the blueprint for the science-backed Mediterranean Diet\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Destinations<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Crete named one of the world\u2019s top dining destinations for 2026\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"helper-site-row o-article-newsy\">\n<div class=\"helper-site-container o-article-newsy__container\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__main\">\n<header class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs\">\n<div id=\"adb-article-breadcrumb\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs__list\">\n<p>                          Europe<\/p>\n<p>                          Europe News<\/p><\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<h1 class=\"c-article-redesign-title\">\n                            Hunger and overcrowding in Europe&#8217;s prisons: where does your country stand?<\/h1>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-video u-position-relative \">\n<div class=\"js-superdiv u-aspect-ratio-16x9 u-position-relative \" data-sponsored=\"Partner content\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-poster-img c-article-media__img\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/76\/40\/62\/1536x864_cmsv2_34939c74-5be6-504d-9582-f314923fe331-9764062.jpg\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"Outside a prison facility\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-caption u-position-absolute\"><i id=\"article-caption-content\" class=\"c-article-caption__content\"><span class=\"c-article-caption__text\"><br \/>\n              Exterior of a prison facility<br \/>\n                    <span class=\"u-color-white\">&#8211;\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__copyright\">Copyright\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__credit\">Dwi Candra, Pexels<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-copyright c-article-image-copyright--novideo\">\n      Copyright\u00a0Dwi Candra, Pexels\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__body u-article-content\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__contributors-publication-date\">\n<div class=\"c-article-contributors\">\n  By&amp;nbspJo\u00e3o Azevedo\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-publication-date\" data-timestamp=\"1779435073\">\n         Published on<br \/>\n            <time datetime=\"2026-05-22 09:31:13 +02:00\">22\/05\/2026 &#8211; 9:31 GMT+2<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-partage-commentaire u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-partage-commentaire__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-partage-commentaire-share\"><span>Share<\/span><\/span><span>Comments<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-partage-commentaire-popup-overlay js-c-article-partage-commentaire-popup-overlay u-display-none\">\n<div id=\"js-c-article-partage-commentaire-popup\" class=\"c-article-partage-commentaire-popup js-c-article-partage-commentaire-popup\">\n<div class=\"c-article-partage-commentaire-popup__header u-display-flex\"><span>Share<\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/icon-close.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"Close Button\" class=\"u-cursor-pointer js-c-article-partage-commentaire-close\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-partage-commentaire-popup__content u-display-flex\">\n<div id=\"partage-commentaire-popup-content-container\" class=\"c-article-partage-commentaire-popup__content__container u-display-flex\"><span class=\"u-display-flex u-gap-1 u-show-for-mobile-only\"><img decoding=\"async\" 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class=\"u-display-flex u-gap-1 u-show-for-mobile-only\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-threads.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"threads\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Threads<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-threads.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"threads\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><span class=\"u-display-flex u-gap-1 u-show-for-mobile-only\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"whatsapp\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Whatsapp<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"whatsapp\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"c-article-summary\">\n        Some countries spend millions trying to address the crisis, yet prisons continue to suffer from poor hygiene, inadequate medical care, and inhumane living conditions.<br \/>\n    <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-content js-article-content\">\n<p>The latest Council of Europe report on overall prison conditions, published on Tuesday, points to a <strong>persistent problem of overcrowding<\/strong>, with several countries in a critical situation and others close to maximum capacity.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Based on data supplied by the prison services of the 46 member states of the Strasbourg-based organisation, the document confirms the trend towards rising prison populations, already highlighted in the latest Eurostat survey (+2%), also made public only a few days ago.<\/p>\n<p>Between 31 January 2024 and 31 January 2025, the <strong>number of prisoners per 100 available places rose from 94.7 to 95.2<\/strong>, despite regional discrepancies. In the previous assessment, six countries reported severe overcrowding; there are now nine. <strong>Turkey and France are among the states with the most congested prisons<\/strong>, with 131 prisoners for every 100 places. They are followed by Croatia (123), Italy (121), Malta (118), Cyprus (117), Hungary (115), Belgium (114) and Ireland (112).<\/p>\n<p>Five more countries are above capacity and face what is described as moderate overcrowding: Finland (110), Greece (108), the United Kingdom in its Scottish part (106), North Macedonia (104) and Sweden (103).<\/p>\n<p>As for Portugal\u2019s prison system, it is operating very close to capacity (99), in a better position than Romania (100), but with a higher occupancy rate than Azerbaijan (98), England and Wales in the United Kingdom (96), Serbia (96), Czechia (95), the Netherlands (95), Denmark (95) and Switzerland (95). The Council of Europe points out that an <strong>occupancy rate of 90% already corresponds to a high\u2011risk indicator and significant operational pressure.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It is worth noting that the latest information released by the Directorate\u2011General for Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP) shows that <strong>Portugal<\/strong> ended 2025 with an occupancy rate of 103.4% and <strong>returned to a situation of overcrowding for the first time in six years<\/strong>, after the extraordinary releases during the COVID\u201119 pandemic that had prompted a temporary drop in the prison population.<\/p>\n<p>In total, on 31 January 2025, <strong>1,107,921<\/strong><strong>people were being held<\/strong> in the 46 Council of Europe member states, an increase of 8.5% compared with the previous year. This corresponds to an average incarceration rate of 110 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>proportion of women in prisons rose from 4.8% to 5.2%<\/strong>, with Hungary (8.8%), Czechia (8.6%), Malta (8%) and Sweden (7.9%) recording the largest increases among countries with more than 500,000 inhabitants. The lowest shares are found in Albania (1.6%), Armenia (2.6%), Montenegro (2.8%) and Azerbaijan (3.1%).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Incarceration rates remain higher in Eastern Europe<\/strong>, particularly in Turkey (458 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants), Azerbaijan (271), Moldova (245) and Georgia (232), while Hungary (206), Poland (189), Czechia (178) and Slovakia (151) appear among the European Union (EU) countries that imprison the most people.<\/p>\n<p>The report also reveals a <strong>greater presence of foreign nationals<\/strong> in prison systems (17% of prisoners are non\u2011nationals), as well as a <strong>rise in the number of inmates over the age of 65<\/strong>, although Council of Europe experts note that, overall, the proportion at this level remains \u201cmodest\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Portugal, together with Italy, records the highest average age (42)<\/strong>, ahead of Montenegro, Estonia and Serbia (41), while Moldova (30), Sweden (34), France, Cyprus and Denmark (35) have the youngest prison populations.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Long sentences and pre-trial detention<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In February this year, in an interview with the Lusa news agency, the director\u2011general of Reintegration and Prison Services, Orlando Carvalho, said there were 13,302 prisoners in the country\u2019s 49 prisons that month. <strong>Between January 2025 and February 2026, 850 prisoners entered the prison system.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One of the factors that most directly contributes to this overcrowding is the <strong>average length of prison sentences in Portugal, the longest on the continent<\/strong>, according to the international report: <strong>31.4 months<\/strong> compared with a European average of <strong>9.7 months<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>On 31 January 2025, of the 9,645 prisoners already convicted, 3,741 were serving sentences of between five and 10 years, 1,423 were in custody for sentences of between 10 and 20 years, and another 1,423 for terms of more than 20 years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf our rules were applied as they are in the rest of Europe, we would not have more than 6,500 prisoners,\u201d says <strong>V\u00edtor Ilharco, secretary\u2011general of the Portuguese Association for Prisoner Support (APAR)<\/strong>, <strong>in an interview with Euronews<\/strong>, criticising how the rules on sentence reduction are applied.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo one grants temporary release before the halfway point of the sentence,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n<p>V\u00edtor Ilharco also points to the <strong>use of pre\u2011trial detention instead of non\u2011custodial measures<\/strong> as another practice that places strain on the prison system. \u201cThe solution is simple \u2013 you lock people up first and investigate later,\u201d he continues.<\/p>\n<p>In its penal statistics, the Council of Europe notes that in Portugal the <strong>average period in custody for prisoners who are subsequently convicted is 57 days<\/strong>, <strong>more than double the European average of 21 days<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is more popular and it is what the far\u2011right parties want,\u201d he laments. The Internal Security Annual Report (RASI ), published in March, states that at the end of 2025 there were more than three thousand people in pre\u2011trial detention out of a total of 13,136 prisoners.<\/p>\n<p>For the APAR secretary\u2011general, Portugal\u2019s restrictive penal culture is also evident in the disregard for the <strong>profile of offenders<\/strong>. \u201cAPAR has already proposed that anyone caught driving without a licence should not be imprisoned.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For such cases, he argues, the most balanced consequence would be <strong>community work<\/strong>, including, for example, cleaning streets, beaches, forests or fire engines and police cars, during which time the offender would obtain a driving licence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSomeone like this will spend one or two years in prison for driving without a licence. The family will be torn apart because, generally, it is the breadwinner who stops receiving a salary. And then they come out again still without a driving licence,\u201d he argues.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cWe would remove around two thousand prisoners from jail,\u201d<\/strong> he adds.<\/p>\n<p>For some more serious crimes, such as homicide, the Penal Code only allows prison, but there are others, rarer, that can be punished with a financial penalty. The problem, notes V\u00edtor Ilharco, is that many people responsible for minor offences cannot afford to pay and are forced to go to prison.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat accounts for another thousand people who remain in prison for three or four months,\u201d he stresses, before drawing attention to the fact that the country has a <strong>prisoner aged 80 who has had both legs amputated<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey could suspend his sentence. People like this are only in prison in Portugal. In Spain they would no longer be behind bars,\u201d he points out.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Lisbon Prison \u2018wouldn\u2019t even be fit for a dog shelter\u2019, APAR warns<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>V\u00edtor Ilharco highlights flaws in the way the prison system is structured in Portugal, which brings together punishment and rehabilitation within the same authority.<\/p>\n<p>This setup has a negative impact on how prisons operate, he argues: 85% of the budget goes on salaries, leaving only 15% for post\u2011release support and all running costs, including food for inmates, who, according to APAR\u2019s secretary\u2011general, go \u201chungry\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, the head of the association representing prisoners denounces an <strong>attempt to turn prison canteens into a business<\/strong>. Current law prohibits families from sending in food.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the [prison] canteens the <strong>prices are usurious<\/strong>. Everything costs double or triple,\u201d he says, recalling an article published in the magazine of the Portuguese Judges\u2019 Association, which reported that prison canteens in Portugal made a profit of 680,000 euros in 2013.<\/p>\n<p>Budget constraints also help explain the <strong>poor material conditions and hygiene in Portuguese prisons<\/strong>. Lisbon Prison is one of the facilities that has prompted complaints, described in an article in Di\u00e1rio de Not\u00edcias by a remand prisoner held there. To the dilapidated cells are added a <strong>lack of space and privacy.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>These problems are confirmed by APAR\u2019s secretary\u2011general. \u201cBecause of overcrowding, they have now put two prisoners in each single cell. As they are locked in for 20 hours a day, they have to relieve themselves in front of each other because there is no partition,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>In the report of the National Preventive Mechanism (MNP) of the Ombudsman\u2019s Office, relating to 2024, more than 50 cases admitted by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) are listed due to \u201cdegrading detention conditions\u201d in Portuguese prisons which, since 2019, have led the Portuguese state to compensate inmates in amounts totalling more than <strong>1.5 million euros<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Portugal may have to pay several thousand euros more, as <strong>more than 850 complaints<\/strong> for the same reasons are still pending before the ECtHR.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo civilised European country would allow Lisbon Prison to be used even as a dog shelter. If it were a kennel, parliament would already have ordered it to close,\u201d emphasises V\u00edtor Ilharco.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>\u201cThere is not a single healthy prisoner\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>On the ageing of the prison population, the Council of Europe warns that, in future, it will be necessary to take into account <strong>\u201cfrequently complex needs\u201d<\/strong> linked to \u201chealth care, chronic illnesses, cognitive decline and reduced mobility\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>However, V\u00edtor Ilharco makes it clear that the dangers associated with the lack of adequate infrastructure and equipment are not limited to older prisoners.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is not a single healthy prisoner. I am not even talking about long sentences. It is simply inconceivable for someone to live for six months in those conditions with meals costing 80 cents,\u201d he warns. There is also \u201caccess to every kind of drug\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe entire structure of the prison is designed to induce inertia among inmates,\u201d he stresses.<\/p>\n<p>In a medical emergency, the APAR representative says, <strong>immediate assistance would be compromised.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is a 90% chance that prisoners will not be taken to hospital because the guards are always on strike. There are <strong>more than 1,500 guards on sick leave<\/strong>,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n<p>In the larger prisons there are nurses on duty at night, but in Alcoentre, for example, <strong>700 prisoners have been without doctors for four months<\/strong>, he says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                                  Go to accessibility shortcuts<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-article-partage-commentaire u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-partage-commentaire__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-partage-commentaire-share\"><span>Share<\/span><\/span><span>Comments<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-you-might-also-like\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-article-you-might-also-like\">\n<h2 class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__title\">\n        Read more<br \/>\n      <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  &#8216;Wholly unsuitable conditions&#8217;: How full are Europe&#8217;s prisons?<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  French prison guards strike over overcrowding as jails near 90,000 inmates<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  More US troops in Poland &#8211; What does the country have to say about it<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto\">\n<ul id=\"adb-article-tags\" class=\"c-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Justice<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Jail<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Portugal<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"o-article-newsy__aside\">\n<div class=\"c-ad-wrapper 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data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2895659-label-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/76\/83\/45\/320x180_cmsv2_8c126a3f-894d-5ca5-bf92-0c90dadef407-9768345.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends at a press conference at the US Embassy in Rome, Friday, May 8, 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Rubio doubtful diplomatic means would work with the Cuban government<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2895330-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2895330\" data-cid=\"9766562\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2895330-label-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/76\/65\/62\/320x180_cmsv2_7167ed5e-99dc-5b11-b323-855bf88bfbf7-9766562.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"File - People looking at a Lamborghini Veneno Roadster (2014) sport car, before an auction in Switzerland 29 Sept. 2019. \" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Which European countries hand the most income to the ultra-rich?<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2895649-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2895649\" data-cid=\"9768285\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2895649-label-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/76\/82\/85\/320x180_cmsv2_d7e322b0-2c83-5819-807c-35f0a924abbb-9768285.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas arrives for a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Monday, May 11, 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    EU to remove remaining barriers as it reviews trade deal with Mexico<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2895164-pos1-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2895164\" data-cid=\"9765542\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Winners and losers: Real household income growth across Europe in 2025<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2895435-pos2-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2895435\" data-cid=\"9767084\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Russia delivers nuclear warheads to Belarus as NATO tensions spike<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2895473-pos3-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2895473\" data-cid=\"9767321\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Mon Dieu! Agatha Christie&#8217;s Poirot is getting a reboot<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2895149-pos4-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2895149\" data-cid=\"9765467\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Ukraine and Hungary move to resolve deadlock over minority rights that has stalled Kyiv\u2019s EU bid<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2895436-pos5-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2895436\" data-cid=\"9767086\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Latvia issues warning after detecting UAV in its airspace<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"articleBody\" data-key=\"articleBody\">The latest Council of Europe report on overall prison conditions, published on Tuesday, points to a persistent problem of overcrowding, with several countries in a critical situation and others close to maximum capacity.Based on data supplied by the prison services of the 46 member states of the Strasbourg-based organisation, the document confirms the trend towards rising prison populations, already highlighted in the latest Eurostat survey (+2%), also made public only a few days ago.Between 31 January 2024 and 31 January 2025, the number of prisoners per 100 available places rose from 94.7 to 95.2, despite regional discrepancies. In the previous assessment, six countries reported severe overcrowding; there are now nine. Turkey and France are among the states with the most congested prisons, with 131 prisoners for every 100 places. They are followed by Croatia (123), Italy (121), Malta (118), Cyprus (117), Hungary (115), Belgium (114) and Ireland (112).Five more countries are above capacity and face what is described as moderate overcrowding: Finland (110), Greece (108), the United Kingdom in its Scottish part (106), North Macedonia (104) and Sweden (103).As for Portugal\u2019s prison system, it is operating very close to capacity (99), in a better position than Romania (100), but with a higher occupancy rate than Azerbaijan (98), England and Wales in the United Kingdom (96), Serbia (96), Czechia (95), the Netherlands (95), Denmark (95) and Switzerland (95). The Council of Europe points out that an occupancy rate of 90% already corresponds to a high\u2011risk indicator and significant operational pressure.It is worth noting that the latest information released by the Directorate\u2011General for Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP) shows that Portugal ended 2025 with an occupancy rate of 103.4% and returned to a situation of overcrowding for the first time in six years, after the extraordinary releases during the COVID\u201119 pandemic that had prompted a temporary drop in the prison population.In total, on 31 January 2025, 1,107,921 people were being held in the 46 Council of Europe member states, an increase of 8.5% compared with the previous year. This corresponds to an average incarceration rate of 110 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants.The proportion of women in prisons rose from 4.8% to 5.2%, with Hungary (8.8%), Czechia (8.6%), Malta (8%) and Sweden (7.9%) recording the largest increases among countries with more than 500,000 inhabitants. The lowest shares are found in Albania (1.6%), Armenia (2.6%), Montenegro (2.8%) and Azerbaijan (3.1%).Incarceration rates remain higher in Eastern Europe, particularly in Turkey (458 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants), Azerbaijan (271), Moldova (245) and Georgia (232), while Hungary (206), Poland (189), Czechia (178) and Slovakia (151) appear among the European Union (EU) countries that imprison the most people.The report also reveals a greater presence of foreign nationals in prison systems (17% of prisoners are non\u2011nationals), as well as a rise in the number of inmates over the age of 65, although Council of Europe experts note that, overall, the proportion at this level remains \u201cmodest\u201d.Portugal, together with Italy, records the highest average age (42), ahead of Montenegro, Estonia and Serbia (41), while Moldova (30), Sweden (34), France, Cyprus and Denmark (35) have the youngest prison populations.Long sentences and pre-trial detentionIn February this year, in an interview with the Lusa news agency, the director\u2011general of Reintegration and Prison Services, Orlando Carvalho, said there were 13,302 prisoners in the country\u2019s 49 prisons that month. Between January 2025 and February 2026, 850 prisoners entered the prison system.One of the factors that most directly contributes to this overcrowding is the average length of prison sentences in Portugal, the longest on the continent, according to the international report: 31.4 months compared with a European average of 9.7 months.On 31 January 2025, of the 9,645 prisoners already convicted, 3,741 were serving sentences of between five and 10 years, 1,423 were in custody for sentences of between 10 and 20 years, and another 1,423 for terms of more than 20 years.\u201cIf our rules were applied as they are in the rest of Europe, we would not have more than 6,500 prisoners,\u201d says V\u00edtor Ilharco, secretary\u2011general of the Portuguese Association for Prisoner Support (APAR), in an interview with Euronews, criticising how the rules on sentence reduction are applied.\u201cNo one grants temporary release before the halfway point of the sentence,\u201d he notes.V\u00edtor Ilharco also points to the use of pre\u2011trial detention instead of non\u2011custodial measures as another practice that places strain on the prison system. \u201cThe solution is simple \u2013 you lock people up first and investigate later,\u201d he continues.In its penal statistics, the Council of Europe notes that in Portugal the average period in custody for prisoners who are subsequently convicted is 57 days, more than double the European average of 21 days.\u201cIt is more popular and it is what the far\u2011right parties want,\u201d he laments. The Internal Security Annual Report (RASI ), published in March, states that at the end of 2025 there were more than three thousand people in pre\u2011trial detention out of a total of 13,136 prisoners.For the APAR secretary\u2011general, Portugal\u2019s restrictive penal culture is also evident in the disregard for the profile of offenders. \u201cAPAR has already proposed that anyone caught driving without a licence should not be imprisoned.\u201dFor such cases, he argues, the most balanced consequence would be community work, including, for example, cleaning streets, beaches, forests or fire engines and police cars, during which time the offender would obtain a driving licence.\u201cSomeone like this will spend one or two years in prison for driving without a licence. The family will be torn apart because, generally, it is the breadwinner who stops receiving a salary. And then they come out again still without a driving licence,\u201d he argues.\u201cWe would remove around two thousand prisoners from jail,\u201d he adds.For some more serious crimes, such as homicide, the Penal Code only allows prison, but there are others, rarer, that can be punished with a financial penalty. The problem, notes V\u00edtor Ilharco, is that many people responsible for minor offences cannot afford to pay and are forced to go to prison.\u201cThat accounts for another thousand people who remain in prison for three or four months,\u201d he stresses, before drawing attention to the fact that the country has a prisoner aged 80 who has had both legs amputated.\u201cThey could suspend his sentence. People like this are only in prison in Portugal. In Spain they would no longer be behind bars,\u201d he points out.Lisbon Prison \u2018wouldn\u2019t even be fit for a dog shelter\u2019, APAR warnsV\u00edtor Ilharco highlights flaws in the way the prison system is structured in Portugal, which brings together punishment and rehabilitation within the same authority.This setup has a negative impact on how prisons operate, he argues: 85% of the budget goes on salaries, leaving only 15% for post\u2011release support and all running costs, including food for inmates, who, according to APAR\u2019s secretary\u2011general, go \u201chungry\u201d.In addition, the head of the association representing prisoners denounces an attempt to turn prison canteens into a business. Current law prohibits families from sending in food.\u201cIn the [prison] canteens the prices are usurious. Everything costs double or triple,\u201d he says, recalling an article published in the magazine of the Portuguese Judges\u2019 Association, which reported that prison canteens in Portugal made a profit of 680,000 euros in 2013.Budget constraints also help explain the poor material conditions and hygiene in Portuguese prisons. Lisbon Prison is one of the facilities that has prompted complaints, described in an article in Di\u00e1rio de Not\u00edcias by a remand prisoner held there. To the dilapidated cells are added a lack of space and privacy.These problems are confirmed by APAR\u2019s secretary\u2011general. \u201cBecause of overcrowding, they have now put two prisoners in each single cell. As they are locked in for 20 hours a day, they have to relieve themselves in front of each other because there is no partition,\u201d he says.In the report of the National Preventive Mechanism (MNP) of the Ombudsman\u2019s Office, relating to 2024, more than 50 cases admitted by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) are listed due to \u201cdegrading detention conditions\u201d in Portuguese prisons which, since 2019, have led the Portuguese state to compensate inmates in amounts totalling more than 1.5 million euros.Portugal may have to pay several thousand euros more, as more than 850 complaints for the same reasons are still pending before the ECtHR.\u201cNo civilised European country would allow Lisbon Prison to be used even as a dog shelter. If it were a kennel, parliament would already have ordered it to close,\u201d emphasises V\u00edtor Ilharco.\u201cThere is not a single healthy prisoner\u201dOn the ageing of the prison population, the Council of Europe warns that, in future, it will be necessary to take into account \u201cfrequently complex needs\u201d linked to \u201chealth care, chronic illnesses, cognitive decline and reduced mobility\u201d.However, V\u00edtor Ilharco makes it clear that the dangers associated with the lack of adequate infrastructure and equipment are not limited to older prisoners.\u201cThere is not a single healthy prisoner. I am not even talking about long sentences. It is simply inconceivable for someone to live for six months in those conditions with meals costing 80 cents,\u201d he warns. There is also \u201caccess to every kind of drug\u201d.\u201cThe entire structure of the prison is designed to induce inertia among inmates,\u201d he stresses.In a medical emergency, the APAR representative says, immediate assistance would be compromised.\u201cThere is a 90% chance that prisoners will not be taken to hospital because the guards are always on strike. There are more than 1,500 guards on sick leave,\u201d he notes.In the larger prisons there are nurses on duty at night, but in Alcoentre, for example, 700 prisoners have been without doctors for four months, he says.<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2026\/05\/22\/hunger-and-overcrowding-in-europes-prisons-where-does-your-country-stand&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/76\/40\/62\/1200x675_cmsv2_34939c74-5be6-504d-9582-f314923fe331-9764062.jpg&#8221;] Europe News More US troops in Poland &#8211; What does the country have to say about it Culture news Hollywood stars sign petition against Bollor\u00e9 Democratic Republic Of Congo Angry crowd sets fire to Ebola treatment center in Congo Destinations Crete named one of the world\u2019s top dining destinations for 2026 Europe [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[226,36],"class_list":["post-1948809","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international","tag-crawlmanager","tag-euronews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1948809","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1948809"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1948809\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1948809"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1948809"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1948809"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}