The Vale de Judeus Correctional Facility is a high-security facility with highly complex management requirements.
Construction began in 1960, and during the 1960s and 1970s, it operated as a military facility known as the Alcoentre Military Fort.
After the April 25 Revolution, between 1974 and 1976, it was used as a military detention center, and was subsequently transferred to the Ministry of Justice and converted, in 1976, into a high-security civilian prison.
Currently, it houses approximately 500 inmates, most of whom are serving long sentences, and offers programs in the areas of security, education, and social reintegration.