Prison Officials Lash Out at the Síndica de Greuges: 'Shame'

The recommendations from the Sindicatura de Greuges regarding inmates in Catalan prisons have deeply outraged prison officials. They have asked the Generalitat to readmit dangerous prisoners to high-risk jobs within the prisons. This has been labeled by the officials as "shameful."

In March 2024, a dangerous inmate killed the cook Núria with a knife at her workplace in Mas d'Enric (Tarragona). Months later, the Ministry of Justice banned the access of dangerous inmates to high-risk work areas within the prisons. In its annual report, the Sindicatura de Greuges expresses its concern about the "restriction of inmates' rights."

The report was presented this week in Parliament by the ombudswoman Esther Giménez-Salinas. It calls for the readmission of prisoners in kitchens, retroactively. It literally speaks of making inmates' rights compatible with the safety of prison officials.

Núria's murder highlighted the lack of protection for prison officials, due precisely to naive protocols that prioritize the well-being of inmates. The same benevolence now wielded by the ombudswoman, which has angered the prison workers."

CSIF's Harsh Statement

The Central Independent Trade Union and of Civil Servants (CSIF) has issued a harsh statement against the ombudswoman. They state that Núria's murder "revealed the serious security deficiencies in Catalan prisons. Led the ministry to restrict the access of the most dangerous inmates to high-risk areas like kitchens."

The union considers the ombudswoman's proposal "a real disgrace." "It shows that she practices benevolence with security and only cares about the rights of prisoners, forgetting about the prison officials."

The union denounces "a system that is more concerned with defending the criminal than protecting its public servants." They state bluntly that "the prison community has the enemy at home."

In its report, the Sindicatura de Greuges estimates that the severity of crimes should not be a criterion to automatically remove prisoners from jobs. Likewise, it considers that restricting their access to utensils like knives is "a limitation of their rights." The CSIF asks the ombudswoman "what then is losing a loved one at the hands of a murderer, or a staff member coming home injured or with psychological scars."

"The restriction of the right to life, and the restriction of the right to workplace safety," they respond.

They Propose 7 Measures

In response to the ombudswoman's recommendations, prison officials propose concrete and "effective" measures in terms of security. They direct these measures to the Minister of Justice, "so that he stops ignoring the situation of the prison community." These are the 7 proposals:

1. Not to change a single comma of the ban on violent prisoners in high-risk areas.
2. Greater control over associations, observatories, and hyper-subsidized groups that only seek to tarnish the image of the prison community.
3. For Minister Espadaler to stop being "invisible" and take effective measures beyond tying knives to work tables.
4. Provide officials with appropriate action aerosols.
5. Recognition of prison staff as law enforcement agents.
6. Supply diluted medication to repeat offenders.
7. Separate maladjusted inmates from the rest of the prison population who do believe in reintegration.

The Sindicatura de Greuges costs Catalans 7.3 million euros a year, of which 6.3 are just for salaries. This body, instead of working, is dedicated to making proposals like this and attacking political parties that challenge the official narrative.