New figures on attacks against prison staff in 2022 show which Andalusian prisons are under the most pressure. Puerto III (Cádiz), Sevilla II (Morón) and Algeciras top the list.
Attacks on staff in Andalusian prisons (2022)
- Puerto III (Cádiz): 21
- Sevilla II (Morón de la Frontera): 19
- Algeciras (Botafuegos): 15
- Huelva: 12
- Albolote (Granada): 10
- Málaga: 10
- Seville Psychiatric Prison Hospital: 8
- Málaga II: 7
- Córdoba: 6
- Puerto I (Cádiz): 6
- Almería: 5
- Jaén: 5
- Seville: 4
- Alcalá de Guadaíra: 3
- Puerto II: 2
- Social integration centre (CIS) Huelva: 1
One attack every 19 hours
Across Spain, the officers' union "Tu Abandono Me Puede Matar" (TAMPM) calculates that there is now one attack on prison staff every 19 hours, compared with one every 21 hours earlier in the year and one every 36 hours before the pandemic. The 2022 total was more than a hundred above the previous worst year, 2016, with 359 attacks.
What the union blames
According to TAMPM:
- Prevention of risks at work is not good enough.
- Prison classification is failing. The union claims that inmates are moved from first grade to second grade too quickly to improve the statistics.
- The official protocol for recording attacks uses a narrower definition for prison staff than for other public workers, so insults, threats, spitting and some injuries are not counted.
- The authority of prison officers is being weakened, for example by a rule that any complaint from an inmate, even without evidence, must be sent to court.
These are the views of the union.
What this means for inmates and families
The union's complaints come from the staff side, but some of them also matter for inmates. The rule that complaints from inmates go to court, for example, is an important protection against abuse.
If your loved one is held in one of the prisons at the top of the list:
- Stay in regular contact and ask directly how they are.
- If they are involved in an incident, ask in writing what happened and what measures have been taken, and inform their lawyer.
- If they are being threatened, they can ask for protection or a transfer.
GC Libertad can help you follow up with the prison. Contact us.
Source: La Razón