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This article explores the main trends observed in the evolution of the populations registered in the Portuguese prison system between 2000 and 2017. Based on an analysis that spans the changes in the field of Criminal Law, official statistical data, and national and international studies and reports on the application of the prison sentence in the country, we aim at understanding and identifying some of the challenges posed to the prison system by the movement of the prison population, as well as by the changes registered in the profile of this population. The evolution and trends identified make it possible to inquire about the impact of the law and to help identify some of the paths that remain to be traced in response to the international legal imperatives in matters of the incarcerated population.