PORTUGAL could be set to redesign its prisons to be more humane and eco-friendly.
Following reports of overcrowding in prisons, which have led to “hideous conditions”, according to news source Publico, a “revolution” in re-evaluating incarceration is beginning.
A €120 million project, set for tender in 2020, will see a new prison in Montijo and one in Ponta Delgada. The prisons are expected to have rooms instead of cells, with patios and open spaces. Glass will replace bars where possible. One of the proposals suggests a salmon-orange colour for the walls because it has been demonstrated to create a soothing atmosphere.
In addition, the prisons could generate solar and geothermal energy, and use rainwater for irrigation and washing.
Jorge Mealha, the leading architect behind the project, said: “Prison is not a place for punishment. It is a mechanism to rehabilitate people who at a determined moment in life had behaviour not tolerated by society.”
The main goal of this paradigm shift is to turn prisons into stress-free environments for both staff and inmates. From there, the focus is to help inmates and rehabilitate them.
Rómulo Mateus, director-general of the prison service, has stressed “not everything in the project will be realised”. He said the colours “are beautiful and attractive, but they are expensive”.
Currently, only the Montijo prison has a planned date, it will take a maximum of 769 prisoners. Ponta Delgado, on the other hand, is waiting on a land embargo to lift before any development plans and tendering can begin.
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