More than 100 prisoners of the Lisbon prison (EPL) have been forced to eat in their cells for at least a month due to the collapse of part of the ceiling in the dining room, which was confirmed this Thursday by the Directorate General for Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP).
In response to Lusa, following information provided by a prisoner-connected source, DGRSP explained that the closure was due to a “precautionary and safety issue” for people who frequent the site – one of eight prisoner canteens currently in place in EPL – and that the situation was caused by bad weather this winter.
“After heavy rains this winter, part of the plaster on the ceiling of one of the dining rooms of the Lisbon prison has collapsed. For reasons of safety and security for workers and prisoners, it was decided to temporarily close this room along with the prisoners. meals served in disposable packaging in the living quarters,” an official source in the DGRSP said.
The same source added that the decision to close the cafeteria was made “in January of this year”, which affected approximately 130 prisoners.
According to the DGRSP, “previous and necessary procedures have already been put in place to allow the renovation work to begin on this premises.”
The refurbishment of this facility comes after the government decided in November 2022 to permanently close the EPL until 2026, approving a €24 million investment to renovate Alcoentre, Linho, Sintra and Tires prisons to accommodate the prisoners of this prison.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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