Portugal Enacts Criminal Policy Law Requiring Inmates to Clean Forests Starting September
Portugal's Criminal Policy Law for 2026‑2028 was published in the Diário da República and takes effect on 1 September. The legislation mandates that the Direção‑Geral de Reinserção e Serviços Prisionais (DGRSP) organise prison work programmes that include the cleaning, maintenance and valorisation of forested land by inmates.
The law keeps violent crime, domestic violence and corruption as priority offences from the 2023‑2025 framework and adds new focus areas such as hate crimes, sabotage of critical infrastructure and breaches of the sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Forest‑fire arson is also listed among priority crimes. It creates a new concept of “zones with social‑impact crime”, authorising special police operations that may involve the identification, search and inspection of people, vehicles or equipment in those zones. The law also strengthens the prevention of illegal weapon possession and use.
The bill was approved by the Council of Ministers in February 2026, passed the Assembly of the Republic on 12 June and was promulgated by President António José Seguro on 17 July.
Entities: António José Seguro · Assembly of the Republic (Portugal) · Council of Ministers (Portugal) · Direção‑Geral de Reinserção e Serviços Prisionais (DGRSP) · Portugal
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Violent crime, domestic violence and corruption remain priority crimes from the 2023‑2025 framework. (All three articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The law was approved by the Council of Ministers in February 2026, passed the Assembly on 12 June and was promulgated by President António José Seguro on 17 July. (All three articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The law includes measures to prevent illegal weapon possession and use. (All three articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The law adds focus on combating hate, sabotage of critical infrastructure and violations of sanctions on Russia for the invasion of Ukraine. (All three articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Forest‑fire arson is listed as a priority crime for prevention under the law. (All three articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The law requires prisoners to clean, maintain and valorise forested areas. (All three articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Criminal Policy Law 2026‑2028 enters into force on 1 September. (All three articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Police may conduct searches of people, vehicles and equipment in ‘zones with social impact crime’. (All three articles)