Topic: Prison Reform
Country: Portugal
Delegate Name: Amelia Schnack
School: Traverse City West High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Portugal position papers GLIMUN 2008 committees
Prison reforms are a major human rights issue facing Portugal. The goal of many in Portugal is to reduce the number of people in the prison system, to prevent future crimes, create a higher standard of prison treatment, and continue to implement sound judicial policies.
The rise of drug use in Portugal has created a rise in the number of inmates contracting HIV. One in two of the nation's 1400 inmates use drugs and 28% of those who do share needles mainly by the use of heroin. To slow the spread of HIV the government has announced the recommendation of the set up of heroin injection rooms in the country's prisons. This would control the spread if HIV by providing clean needles accompanied by a supervised setting. Among with HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and other communicable diseases passed by sharing needles, Portugal has one of the highest prison death rates in Europe.
Portugal would follow countries like Australia, Canada, Germany, and Switzerland who have already set up working injection site of their own. The recommendation for prison controlled injection sites in Portugal was backed by the lawyers association and the chair of prison reforms, the former UN General Assembly President Diogo Freitas do Amaral. Amaral stated “There are unique circumstances in prisons which can lead one to adopt a different approach to drugs than that which is adopted in the wider society.” Not everyone is in favor of this approch. Justice Minister Celeste Cardona would like to see the continuation of focusing on addiction treatment.
Portugal has approved many proposals to improve the prison systems. The goals of this proposal are achieving a humane, just, safe prison, providing social rehabilitation, protecting inmates rights, improving detention conditions, fulfilling inmates' heath needs, combating overcrowding, and the general running of the prison systems.
With the increase of drugs coming in to this county, the number of inmates has started to rise. The goal of the Portuguese government is to create a safe environment for the prison inmates and the people who work there.
