The Department of Justice of the Generalitat is launching a program to prevent suicides
and self-harming behavior in Catalan prisons and also improve conflict management.
The program - which foresees the hiring of a hundred professionals specialized in different disciplines,
including psychology - will start with a budget of six million euros per year and is scheduled to last three years.
The Minister of Justice, Gemma Ubasart, explained that the decision comes after an
increase in the number of self-harming behaviors and suicides, assaults and more
mechanical restraints has been observed in the years following the pandemic.
“We want to break this trend,” said Ubasart, who trusts that the program will mean a “substantive” improvement in the situation.
The counselor has highlighted that we must put “light and focus” on penitentiary policy
and has been convinced that this plan will consolidate a model that pivots around reintegration.
According to Justice data, 14 inmates committed suicide in 2022, above the 11 in 2021 and 2020
and double the seven suicides in 2019. So far this year, five inmates have committed suicide, a figure
that, although it represents a improvement in the trend, is taken with caution by the Department.
“Any suicide in prison is already a failure,” said Armand Calderó, Secretary of Penal Measures,
Reintegration and Victim Care.
Suicide attempts have also increased in recent years. In 2019, before the pandemic,
101 attempts were recorded, below the 154 in 2022.
In 2021 there were 151 and in 2020 there were 86.
On the other hand, in 2022 there were 40 serious attacks on officials and 330 minor ones.
Credit: https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/5182298/0/cataluna-activa-plan-prevenir-suicidios- reducir-incidentes-prisiones/
