La pandemia de COVID-19 en el sistema penitenciario portugués: perspectiva de personas presas y profesionales

The Covid-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges for prison systems worldwide. In this article, based on 43 interviews conducted with imprisoned individuals aged 65 or over, prison guards, and NGO representatives and religious and spiritual assistants engaged in the prison context, we explore the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic in the Portuguese prison system. The data highlights the impact of pandemic-related imposed restrictions on activities and social interactions, controversies surrounding the implementation of protective measures, and the paradoxical repercussions of the early release scheme introduced under Law 9/2020. The Covid-19 pandemic further accentuated the “depth of imprisonment”, functioned as a kaleidoscope that sheds light on the penal system’ diverging rationales, and acted as a magnifying glass that accentuated pre-existing social problems.