Guidance

Portugal prisoner pack

Updated 2 September 2021

Introduction

Disclaimer

This information was compiled by the Consular Section, British Embassy in Portugal. It is revised on a regular basis.

If any of the information contained in this pack is incorrect, please draw inaccuracies to our attention so that we can make amendments.

British Consular Services in Portugal are not accountable for the information provided in this pack. Local proceedings are subject to change at any time.

Who can help?

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO):

The FCDO is represented overseas by its Embassies and Consulates (High Commission in Commonwealth Countries). Both employ consular officers, and one of their duties is to provide help and advice to any UK National who gets into difficulty in a foreign country.

About the Portugal Consular Network

We are impartial; we are not here to judge you. We aim to make sure that you are treated properly and fairly in accordance with local regulations, and that you are treated no less favourably than other prisoners.

We can answer questions about your welfare and about prison regulations but you must ask your lawyer or the court about legal matters. The list of lawyers is provided by the British Embassy for your convenience, but neither His Majesty’s Government, nor any official of the Consulate, take any responsibility for the competence or probity of any firm/advocate on the list or for the consequence of any legal action initiated or advice given.

We cannot get you out of prison, pay fines or stand bail or interfere with local judicial procedures to get you out of prison nor secure you an earlier trial date; we cannot investigate a crime.

We have tried to make sure that the information in this pack is accurate and up to date, but the British Embassy cannot accept legal responsibility for any errors or omissions in the information. If in doubt contact a lawyer.

Who are the Consular Representatives?

There are two consulates in Portugal covering mainland Portugal and the archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores.

The two consulates are located in Lisbon and Portimão. We have three honorary consuls located in Porto, Funchal, and Ponta Delgada.

Contact information

British Consulate Lisbon

Rua de São Bernardo 33
1249-082 Lisboa

Telephone: +351 21 392 40 00

Use our contact form for consular enquiries: www.gov.uk/contact-consulate-lisbon

British Vice Consulate Portimão

Edificio A Fábrica
Avenida Guanaré
8501-915 Portimão

Telephone: +351 282 490 750

Use our contact form for consular enquiries: www.gov.uk/contact-consulate-portimao

First steps

Who will know I have been detained?

The Portuguese authorities will usually inform us of your detention, but this does not always happen immediately. You may ask to call the Consulate. You have a right to do this.

What will my family be told?

For reasons of confidentiality, we are not permitted to tell anyone that you have been detained or what the charges are without your permission.

Should you wish to inform your family, however, we can make contact with them on your behalf. We can give your family advice on procedures and prison regulations. We can also let them know how you are doing.

What will the Consulate do?

We will make contact with you within 24 hours of being notified of your detention. This may mean sending you a letter, as we are not always able to speak to you by phone. We will ask for a video call with you as soon as possible thereafter.

We will send you a copy of this pack and offer to contact family and friends, if you have not already done so. We will tell you about Prisoners Abroad and send you a form so that you can register with them if you wish to do so. Let us know during the call if you need help returning the form to Prisoners Abroad.

We will advise on how your family and friends can send you money and check that any medical issue you may have has been brought to the attention of the prison authorities. We will ensure you know how to contact us if you or your family need any help or advice during the months leading up to your trial. We will arrange another video call with you once you have been sentenced.

If you are a dual UK/Portuguese national, we cannot assist you formally, under international law. However, Consular staff will provide whatever informal assistance the local authorities will allow.

Would I have a criminal record in the UK?

You should be aware that if you have been convicted for certain serious offences, such as sexual assault or drugs trafficking, we are obliged to inform the UK police. It is therefore possible that information about this offence may appear if a Criminal Records Bureau check were carried out by a prospective employer.

Visits

How do my family and friends arrange a visit?

On arrival in prison, you should submit a list of all of the people you think may visit you. You should tell the prison authorities what their relationship is to you, e.g. mother, brother, wife, girlfriend. In some prisons, visitors need to have a visitors’ ID card before they can see you. If this is the case where you are, please ask your relative to contact us for help in clarifying the requirements.

Your friends and family should aim to visit you on your allocated visiting days. The prison director may agree to extra visits if your relatives are visiting from overseas for a limited period and are unable to visit you regularly. If you have a relative or a friend visiting from abroad, you should submit an application to your social worker requesting extra visits. If you wish us to support your application, please let us know. We will need your visitors’ full names, dates of birth and passport numbers to pass on to the prison authorities. We will also need to know their relationship to you and the dates on which they would like to visit. We will try to obtain extra visits for you but please remember that this is at the discretion of the Prison Director and is not always granted.

Family members living in Portugal will not be granted extraordinary visits and are asked to follow the procedures laid down by the prison centre.

Visits normally take place in a common room and are supervised by prison staff. Visitors will be searched for security purposes. Handbags and similar objects, mobile phones and other electronic equipment cannot be taken into visits.

How many visits am I allowed?

The visiting regime varies depending on the size of the prison, the number of detainees and the resources available to supervise visits. As a general rule, however, you will be allocated 2-3 one hour visits per week.

Consular visits

Most consular visits take place by video call and have to be authorised by the prison authorities. During our calls, you will have the opportunity to discuss any health issues, security concerns, your treatment in prison and any other general issues that you may wish to raise. If there is any information you would prefer not to disclose to your family, please make this clear during the visit.

What can visitors bring?

You are not allowed to receive any items, including documents and money, directly from your visitor during the course of a visit. Items must be handed over for screening to the prison officer on duty on arrival at the prison. The rules on what your visitors can bring vary from prison to prison. Check the regulations in your prison with your social worker or the guard who is in charge of your wing.

Any food that is brought in by your visitors has to be packed in transparent plastic bags. Glass and metal containers are not allowed. All packages will be inspected before they are handed to you. Any prohibited items will be retained for collection by your visitor at the end of the visit.

Your visitors may hand in money for you on arrival. This will be registered in your name and receipted. It will subsequently be credited to your prison account.

You may apply to the Prison Director for authority to receive such items as extra clothing and shoes, a radio, television, CD and DVD player, video games console and musical instruments.

Prison conditions/services

Arrival at prison

On arrival in prison, your identity will be checked and you will be searched. Any belongings in your possession will be examined by the prison’s admissions officer, documented and either placed in storage or returned to you. Any documents or money you are carrying will be recorded and kept on your prison file. The Consulate cannot store your personal belongings. Passports and other identity documents, such as driving licences, may be kept by the court until you have been tried and your sentence becomes final and absolute. Ask your lawyer to ask the court to send your documents to the prison as soon as they are no longer required.

You will be allowed to make one telephone call. This call will be supervised by a prison officer. You will be given a copy of the prison rules and regulations and any urgent health or personal issues will be addressed.

You will subsequently have an opportunity to discuss any ongoing medical conditions with the prison nurse/doctor and you will be asked to have blood tests. You will also have an interview with your prison social worker when you will have an opportunity to raise other issues of a personal nature.

You will be issued with a prison ID card. You should carry this with you at all times. Depending on the rules in your prison, you may need the card to use the telephone and to buy items from the prison shop. The prison will create a current account for you where any money you receive will be credited and any expenses you have will be debited.

In some prisons, you will be kept on an admissions wing for an initial period of up to 15 days for assessment purposes. Thereafter you will be assigned to a wing that is considered suitable for you.

General prison conditions

Conditions vary from prison to prison. Some prisons are overcrowded. Cells can be individual but are more likely to be shared by at least 2 people. In some cases, prisoners are accommodated in dormitories. Cells have toilet and washing facilities but showers are usually communal. Prisoners are responsible for keeping their cells clean and tidy. Common areas are kept clean by nominated prisoners. Bedding and towels are supplied and washed by the prison authorities. Duvets are not permitted.

Most prisons will allow you to use your own clothes. We recommend comfortable, non-branded clothing that you can wash and dry easily. Portugal can be cold and damp in the winter so have some warm clothes too. Jackets with hoods are not permitted. If you work in the prison, suitable clothing will be supplied. You will need to buy your own toiletries.

How can I receive money?

There are two ways to receive money in prison.

• your family and friends can transfer funds direct to your prison account.. Please contact the Consulate for more information about this option

• your family and friends can transfer funds to you through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). See Annex 1 for instructions on how to do this.

Please note that sending cash through the post is illegal in Portugal. If you receive cash by post, the prison authorities will withhold it until the Parole Court tells them how to deal with it.

Funds received via the FCDO will be converted into Euros and deposited in your prison current account. Please note that monies transferred through the FCDO can take up to 4 weeks to reach your account.

Consular staff cannot be responsible for the loss of funds.

The Consulate does not provide financial support to UK nationals in prison abroad.

Can I work or study in prison?

Work is available in most prisons, but there is not enough to occupy every inmate so it is generally reserved for prisoners who are already serving their sentenced. Prisoners receive a small sum of money for their work, half of which is automatically deposited in a reserve account that is made available on release from prison. The other half is deposited in a current account, which can be drawn from on a regular basis.

A limited number of adult education classes are available but these are normally in Portuguese aimed at improving literacy. You may find it useful to take Portuguese lessons, if these are available, not only as a diversion from the monotony of the prison routine, but also to give yourself a better chance of working in the prison and a better understanding of what is happening around you.

If language lessons are not available, you may wish to consider teaching yourself Portuguese. If you can’t get the books you need, contact Prisoners Abroad who may be able to help with the supply of training manuals. We have a limited supply of phrase books and dictionaries that we can send to you if you would find this helpful. You can also consult the list of key phrases prepared by Prisoners Abroad.

Can I receive medical and dental treatment?

If you need medical or dental treatment, you should make an appointment to see the prison doctor. In some large prisons, it can be difficult to get an early appointment with the doctor and you may be offered an appointment with the prison nurse. If you have a condition that needs urgent attention, you should inform your prison social worker or the guard who is in charge of your wing.

Prison doctors are general practitioners. If you need medical tests or have a condition that needs further investigation, you will be referred to a specialist at the Caxias prison hospital near Lisbon, or at a local civilian hospital. There is a waiting list for such appointments, similar to those at general NHS hospitals in Portugal and the UK.

Treatment is provided free-of-charge. However, free dental treatment is limited. Specific dental work has to be paid for privately. Eye tests can be arranged at the prison hospital, but you will need to buy your own glasses.

Food and diet

The prison authorities provide 3 meals a day and a snack to eat after cells have been locked in the evening. Generally speaking, special and vegetarian diets will only be provided on medical or religious grounds. You can supplement your diet by buying food from the prison shop or from the internal vending machines where these are available. Alcoholic drinks are not permitted. If there is a canteen in your prison centre, you will have to take your meals in there. Meal times are set at the discretion of the Prison Director.

Mail/parcels

Please note that under the general prison regulations the only parcels prisoners can receive are from those people who are on their list of potential visitors/correspondents, so it’s important that parcels are clearly marked with the sender’s name.

There is no limit to the number of letters you can send and receive. However, you can only receive one parcel per month not exceeding 5kgs (1kg of which may be food) from family and friends who are on your list of registered visitors. If you do not receive regular visits, the Prison Director may authorize an additional parcel per month of up to 5kgs. Ask your social worker for a list of authorized/prohibited items.

When sending letters, make sure you write your name, prison number and address on the top left hand corner of the envelope. Ask your friends and family to do the same on any letters or parcels they send you. This enables the prison authorities to keep a register of your correspondence. The prison authorities can and do refuse to receive letters and parcels which arrive at the prison without this information.

Any letters or parcels you receive will be opened and checked in your presence. Any letters or parcels you send will be checked and sealed in your presence.

Consular staff cannot forward letters or parcels to you; your family should send them direct.

Please see Annex 5 with useful links from Royal Mail/Post Office and the Portuguese Post Office (CTT) with specific requirements on sending parcels.

Important information

As of 1 January 2021, parcels from the UK are liable to customs clearance in Portugal. If your family or friends in the UK wish to send you a parcel, make sure they complete the customs form at the UK Post Office and that the GIFT option is ticked in the content section of the form. All gifts under €45 are VAT exempt. For gifts over €45, any charges will be collected from the recipient on delivery. When the parcel arrives in Portugal, you will receive a notification and your relative or friend can complete the customs clearance procedure online (see step-by-step guide). If they declared that the parcel’s value is under €45, it will be released free of charge. If they marked it over €45, you will be liable to pay customs duties.

Can I make telephone calls?

According to the General Prison Regulations, you are allowed to make one 5-minute telephone call per day to the friends/family in addition to a further 5-minute call per day to your lawyer. In most prison centres, there is a large demand for the use of the telephone and it may not always be possible for you to reach the head of the queue before the time for using the phone expires. Calls can only be made from the public telephones installed in prison to the numbers that are cleared by the prison authorities.

If you do not receive regular visits, you may put in a request for an additional telephone call through your prison social worker. Please remember that the authorisation is at the discretion of the Prison Director. The possession and use of mobile phones is strictly forbidden. Anyone found with a mobile phone will be subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Leisure and entertainment

Most prison centres have a gym for use by prisoners on a rotational basis. Other sporting activities and team games may also be organised. There is usually a library where you may find books in English that have been left by former inmates. Ask your social worker what activities are available and how you can get involved.

Drugs

If you are caught in possession of any illegal substances, you will be subject to disciplinary proceedings. If you have a problem with drug dependency, you should discuss this with the prison doctor or your social worker with a view to joining a rehabilitation programme. If you need any help raising this matter with the prison authorities, please contact the Consulate.

Cigarettes are permitted provided they are bought from the prison shop or from one of the internal vending machines that may be available in your prison. You can only smoke in the exercise yard and in designated smoking areas and cells.

How can I make a complaint about mistreatment?

If you have been tortured or mistreated:

• before you arrive at the prison

  You should inform your lawyer and discuss what steps can be taken to make an official complaint, if this is what you want to do

• while in prison

  You should inform your social worker and discuss what steps can be taken to make an official complaint, if this is what you want to do

You should also inform Consular staff as soon as it is safe for you to do so. We will do our best to visit you; to check on your welfare; discuss the allegations and any action that has been taken so far. If you have not yet reported your complaint, we can inform you of the local complaints procedures. With your permission, and where appropriate, we may also be able to raise your allegations of torture and/or mistreatment with the authorities.

The Portuguese judicial system

Criminal process (common proceedings)

1. Person detained on suspicion of having committed a public crime* or a semi-public crime** (Held at police station. Entitled to call Consulate and a lawyer)

2. Person brought before a magistrate for preliminary hearing (Hearing held within 48 hours of detention. Court will appoint a lawyer if detainee does not already have one)

3. Judge decides whether to remand in custody or release

4. If remanded in custody, further inquiries will ensue and formal charges will be made within a maximum of 12 months of detention (“Fase do inquérito” which leads to “acusação” or “arquivamento”)

5. Once formal charges have been made, defendant has 20 days within which to contest them (“Fase da instrução”)

6. If charges are contested, case file is sent to an “Instruction Judge” (Juíz de Instrução) for review. If charges are not contested, a date is set for the trial.

*Public crimes are those which may be prosecuted by the State irrespective of whether or not a formal complaint has been made by the offended party. Murder, fraud, drug trafficking, rape, GBH, arson and forgery are some examples.

**Semi-public crimes are those which cannot be prosecuted by the State unless the offended party makes a formal complaint. Wilful damage, threatening behaviour, assault, negligent bodily harm and theft are some examples.

Is the system the same as the UK?

The Portuguese judicial system is based on Roman law. It differs from the system in the UK in that whole areas of law are set out in codes, e.g. criminal code, civil code, etc. The judicial system includes judicial courts and administrative courts. Courts are independent and judge according to the law.

There are 3 levels of judicial courts: the lower court (Tribunal de Primeira Instância), the second instance courts (Tribunal de Relação) and the Supremo Tribunal de Justiça) and the Constitutional Court. The lower courts decide over the majority of disputes; appeals are made to a second instance court depending on the monetary value and issues being disputed.

You can find a translation of useful legal terms at Annex 4

What should happen when I am arrested?

Following arrest, you must appear before a magistrate within 48 hours of detention. This magistrate will decide whether there is a case to answer to and if so, whether you should be released, released on restrictive conditions or kept in custody pending further enquiries. A court appointed defence lawyer will be present to ensure legal procedures are followed, together with an interpreter.

For how long can I be remanded in custody?

For crimes of a particularly complex nature, you can be held for up to one year on preliminary charges while the Public Prosecutor conducts further investigations and prepares the case for the prosecution. Progress on the investigation is reviewed every 3 months by the judge, who will confirm or deny the right to continue to hold you in custody. If you think your detention may be illegal, discuss whether you can apply for “Habeas Corpus” with your lawyer.

The period between arrest and trial is often quite long. It usually takes at least six months, for a case to be brought to trial, but can take as long as 18 months. The delay in cases being heard varies from district to district. It is not possible to obtain priority for UK nationals.

In Portugal, the judicial authorities go into recess each year between 15 July and 31 August. During this period, the courts and the public prosecution service deal with urgent cases only. Further delays can therefore be expected both in setting dates for trials and considering applications for early release.

What happens when I am charged?

Once the investigation has been concluded, the Public Prosecutor will either present definitive charges or declare that there is insufficient evidence to do so and close the file. If charges are pressed, you and your lawyer will have 20 days within which to contest them if you consider that this is appropriate.

If you decide to contest the charges, the file will be passed to another magistrate who will examine all the arguments in order to determine whether or not there is cause to proceed to trial. This can take between 2-3 months. If you decide not to contest the charges (it is not compulsory to do so), a date will be set for the trial once the 20-day period has expired.

The hearing is public and you must be represented in court by a lawyer. The court must also appoint an interpreter if you do not understand Portuguese. The sentence will become final 15 days after reading, provided you do not appeal.

What provision is there for bail?

Bail is available at the discretion of the court. However, only in exceptional circumstances is it granted for offences involving serious crimes, such as drug trafficking or serious fraud. Applications for bail are considered on their merits. A foreign national defendant is more likely to be remanded in custody due to the difficulty guaranteeing that they will remain in the country, if released on bail, until the investigation has been concluded and the trial takes place.

What kind of legal assistance is available?

You can view a list of English-speaking lawyers. These lawyers require payment for their services. If you are unable to hire a lawyer, the court will appoint one to represent you. This may be the lawyer who represented you at your preliminary hearing. In order to avoid the payment of any fees, you should inform the court of your inability to pay for private legal representation and confirm your wish to be represented under the legal aid scheme (Apoio Judiciário).

If you are not satisfied with the appointed lawyer, you may apply to the court for their substitution. However, you will have to be able to demonstrate that you have reasonable grounds for making such a request. You may indicate the name of a substitute lawyer provided they have agreed to represent you under the legal aid scheme.

The court may appoint a trainee lawyer and you should therefore not expect their level of expertise to be the same as that of an experienced lawyer, though you should bear in mind that trainee lawyers work under the supervision of fully qualified professionals.

What happens at the trial?

On the day of your trial, if you are on remand, you will be taken to court by prison guards. You will normally be held in a court cell until the hearing begins. Trials by jury are infrequent in Portugal and there will more likely be a panel of 3 judges, one of whom is the presiding judge. The state prosecutor will be present, together with your lawyer and an interpreter if you don’t speak Portuguese. There will also be a court clerk. Hearings are public unless otherwise decided by the presiding judge so you may find there are members of the public, law students, etc in the public gallery. Consular staff do not attend trials.

Witnesses for both the prosecution and the defence will be called one by one. They will not be allowed in the court room until they are required to give evidence. The questioning of witnesses who live abroad is normally done by Commission Rogatoire (also known as a letter of request) sent from the Portuguese court to the judicial authorities of the country of residence of the witness.

Where the witness lives in the UK, the Commission Rogatoire will be sent from the Portuguese court to the Portuguese Attorney-General’s Office for translation before being forwarded to the Judicial Cooperation Unit of the Home Office. The Home Office subsequently passes on the request to the Senior Master of the Supreme Court of Judicature from where it is sent to the relevant court or police station to arrange for the witness to be questioned. This process can take some considerable time.

In addition to the state prosecutor, the presiding judge can and does ask questions during the hearing. The other judges tend to listen and make notes. Your lawyer can also ask questions.

Sentences

On the last day of your trial, the judge will set a date for the reading of the verdict. This will normally take place within two weeks. You will be present when the sentence is read. Sentences are set out in the Portuguese Criminal Code. Your lawyer is best placed to advise you on the minimum and maximum sentence in your case.

How can appeals be made?

You may appeal, through your lawyer against any conviction within 30 days of sentencing. If you are in custody, you will not have to pay any costs, fines or fees until after the appeal has been heard. If you have been released, you will have to pay the justice tax before the appeal is accepted. The justice tax is decided by the judge in accordance with the Code of Judicial Costs. You should always consult your lawyer for an estimate of the costs of an appeal.

The state prosecutor may also appeal if they consider that the conviction is too lenient.

A court case may be re-opened if:

• there is contradiction between two sentences
• there are false statements, declarations and documents from which a “guilty” verdict has resulted
• the accused is convicted on the basis of corruption, bribery, subornation of the judge and/or jury
• new facts or exhibits have come to light showing a strong possibility of the sentenced person’s innocence, or
• a medical examination of the accused reveals considerably diminished responsibility

The re-opening of a case will require a lawyer to institute new court action to render void the original sentence.

What provision is there for reduction of sentence (remission) e.g. for good behaviour?

There is no remission under the Portuguese judicial system.

What provision is there for early release e.g. on parole?

You may be considered for early release once you have served half of your sentence or, if not granted at this point, once you have completed two thirds of your sentence. Early release is discretionary and is not an entitlement. It is decided by the parole judge (Juiz do Tribunal de Execuçao de Penas) in charge of the local committee reviewing prison sentences, on the basis of information supplied by the prison authorities and in accordance with the law.

Factors such as good behaviour, any courses taken and examinations passed, evidence of somewhere to live and employment if released, are taken into account. There is no provision in the law to take into consideration your nationality or the fact that you are serving your sentence abroad.

For those sentenced to more than six years imprisonment, there is scope within the law to deny early release until five-sixths of the sentence has been completed.

An unofficial translation of the relevant article of the law can be found at Annex 3.

The law also allows for a condemned prisoner who is in the terminal stages of a serious and incurable disease to be moved to a hospital or to his home. An application should be made by the prisoner or a member of his family to the court (Tribunal de Execução de Penas).

What provision is there for clemency or pardon?

In Portugal, pardons are granted once a year at Christmas by the President. If you think you have grounds for a pardon, discuss making an application with your lawyer or social worker. If you are granted a pardon, you will still have a criminal record.

What about any financial penalties?

You may be required to pay an administrative fine, court costs or compensation. This will be decided by the judges when they are considering what sentence to apply. If you do not have the means to pay these financial penalties, you should discuss this with your lawyer.

Is transfer to another prison within Portugal possible?

You may apply to the Prison Service central authority for transfer to another prison in Portugal. You should state the reasons why you wish to transfer and bear in mind whether the prison of your choice is suitable for you, ie if it is a remand prison and you are sentenced, it is unlikely that the prison service will agree to your request. The Prison Director may also apply for you to be moved to another prison once you have been sentenced.

Please note that the decision to transfer lies with the prison authorities; the Consulate cannot become involved in this process.

Is transfer to the UK a possibility?

Once you are sentenced, you can apply for transfer to a prison in the United Kingdom to serve the remainder of your sentence there.

You’ll have to meet the following conditions:

• you are a UK national
• your sentence is final, i.e. you are not waiting for a decision on an appeal
• you will have at least six months of your sentence to serve at the time of transfer to the UK, and
• the offence for which you have been found guilty is also a crime in the UK.

If you are interested in prison transfer, you should make an application as soon as your sentence becomes final and absolute. Further details of the application process are set out in our step-by-step guide.

What are the procedures for release and deportation?

If, in addition to a custodial sentence, the judges decide you should be expelled, you will be handed over to the immigration authorities at the end of your sentence. You may be held in immigration detention until the authorities have made the necessary travel arrangements. You will then be escorted to the airport and put you on a flight to the UK. There will be a period of time (usually equal to the length of your sentence) when you will not be able to return to Portugal and the countries belonging to the Schengen area. If you are unclear about this, you should ask your lawyer.

If you do not have an expulsion order, you will be responsible for finding your own way home on release from prison. You should plan for your release and return home in good time. The Consulate cannot pay for your travel arrangements.

Additional information

Volunteer workers

There are volunteers who are available to visit prisoners, on request. They are Ms Simona Cattabiani and the Reverends Beth and Iain Bendrey of the Anglican Chaplaincy of St George, Lisbon & St Paul, Estoril. Mrs Barbara Flynn is also available to visit female prisoners in Tires. If you would like a visit from one of our volunteers, please write to them c/o the British Consulate, Rua de São Bernardo 33, 1249-082 Lisbon

Fair Trials International (FTI)

5 Castle Road
London NW1 8PR

Tel: 0044 (0) 207 822 2370 Fax: 0044 (0) 207 822 2371

E-mail: office@fairtrials.net

Website: www.fairtrials.org

FTI is a charity which works for the rights of those facing criminal charges in a country other than their own. They have an information booklet “Arrested in Another Country?” which answers questions people frequently ask when they are arrested overseas. You can obtain a copy of the leaflet from FTI at the above address. Copies are also available for downloading from FTI’s website. If you have any difficulty obtaining a copy of the leaflet, please let us know.

Prisoners Abroad

Prisoners Abroad
89 – 93 Fonthill Road
London N4 3JH

Telephone: 00 44 (0) 20 7561 6820 or, for your relatives in the UK, Freephone 0808 172 0098 (Monday to Friday between 09:30 am and 4:30 pm, UK time)

Email: info@prisonersabroad.org.uk

Website: www.prisonersabroad.org.uk

Since 1978 the charity Prisoners Abroad has offered practical support and advice to UK nationals imprisoned overseas. It is the only UK charity providing this service and it is available to all, whether guilty or innocent, convicted or on remand. Prisoners Abroad is concerned with your health and welfare, both during your imprisonment and also on your return to the UK, through their resettlement service (if you have registered whilst in prison).

They can also provide support and advice to your family. In order to access their services, you must first register with Prisoners Abroad by signing and returning their authorisation form.

Once you seek help from Prisoners Abroad, the Prisoner & Family Support Service will be your point of contact for advice and information. The type of assistance they can offer will vary from country to country, but generally they can provide you with information, in English, on:

• your rights as a prisoner and issues that may affect you such as health or transfer to the UK
• obtaining magazines, newspapers, books and the regular Prisoners Abroad newsletter
• writing to a pen pal
• learning the language of your country of imprisonment
• translation of documents
• grants for food if you are in a developing country and don’t have funds from other sources
• grants for essential medicines and toiletries if you don’t have funds from other sources
• preparing for release
• help for your loved ones, including information, family support groups and assistance with the cost of visiting