Public Policy Measure
Prisoners are admitted to a prison in the following cases:
a) A warrant from the court ordering the execution of the sentence or measure involving deprivation of liberty;
b) Arrest warrant;
c) Capture, in the event of escape or unauthorised absence;
d) Voluntary surrender, which is subject to confirmation by the competent court;
e) Decision by the competent authority within the framework of international judicial co-operation in criminal matters;
f) Transfer;
g) In transit between prisons.
Prisons are classified by order of the Minister of Justice according to the level of security and the degree of management complexity. Depending on the level of security, there are
a) Special security establishments;
b) High security establishments;
c) Medium security establishments.
The legal framework for the execution of custodial sentences and measures in the Portuguese legal system is established in the Code for the Execution of Custodial Sentences and Measures approved in the annex to Law no. 115/2009 of 12 October, in its current wording, and in the General Regulations for Prison Establishments approved in the annex to Decree-Law no. 51/2011 of 11 April, in its current version.