Delving into the Daily Life of Spanish Prisons
Firstly, the convict's data is collected, their fingerprints are taken and front and profile photos are taken to later file the information in the admission book. In addition, a specific document is created that explains the situation and the reason for admission.
The convicted person and his personal belongings are then searched. If these are not allowed, they are kept in a safe place to be delivered again when the sentence is completed, although there is also the possibility of delivering them to a family member if both parties wish.
Afterwards, a first medical examination is carried out to know the prisoner's state of health and to guarantee maximum health care. Subsequently, interviews are carried out with professionals who work in the prison in order to know the social and family situation of the convicted person or to advise on the management of aid from the City Council or the Autonomous Community for people in his situation.
Finally, prisoners are assigned a module, they are given hygiene products, sheets, blankets and clothing to wear during their stay. The conditions of this will depend on the grade.
First degree or Closed Regime prisoners are those who are considered dangerous because of the crimes they have committed, because of their behavior or because they have previously tried to escape. These prisoners cannot obtain permission to leave.
Second degree or ordinary regime prisoners are not considered dangerous, and have the right to visits from family and friends, work within the prison, participate in activities and have their permits studied to prepare them for life in freedom.
Third Degree or Open Regime prisoners spend the day outside the prison and return to sleep. To be in this grade, the prisoner must have good behavior and the Treatment Board, in charge of reviewing the grades every 6 months at most, grants you permission.
The Treatment Board is made up of the director and other prison professionals. Its functions are: to study the problems and needs of each prisoner, to be aware of the life of prisoners in prison, to propose and decide the grade of each prisoner, to review the grade and situation of each prisoner every 6 months, to decide whether to grant permits prisoners to leave prison and offer each prisoner activities to do in prison.
To review the grades, the Treatment Board takes into account the personality of each prisoner, his family and social situation and the crime he committed. After the review you can maintain the same grade, change to another grade or be transferred to another prison. When a prisoner does not agree with the decision of the Treatment Board, he can complain to the Penitentiary Surveillance Court.
But, let's focus on life in prison. Inmates must be in their cells approximately from 8 at night to 8 in the morning. The cells have automatic locks, although prisoners have telephones to call in case of emergency.
In Spanish prisons you have early breakfast, early lunch and early dinner. During the rest of the day, except for nap time, it is prohibited to be in the cell. Every day is the same, including weekends and holidays.
For most of the day, prisoners must be in the common areas of their module, where there are tables, a common television, a soccer and basketball court, as well as a foosball table and table tennis. Prisoners live in these spaces daily.
Prisoners do not have access to the internet at any time of the day. Mobile phones are prohibited and although there are computer classes there is no connection to the network and they are only connected in exceptional cases, such as studies at the UNED. Prisoners can have a television in their cells, as long as they buy it with their own money in the prison commissary and it is a model with specific characteristics.
Regarding the behaviors that are sanctioned, we highlight the consumption of alcohol or drugs, discrimination based on race, gender or sexual condition, physical or verbal abuse of other prisoners or prison workers, organizing or participating in fights, disobeying orders of prison workers, having unauthorized objects, stealing, telling lies that affect prison security or escaping.
The sanctions for these behaviors are diverse. There are written warnings, but they can also be punished with the prohibition of walks and leisure activities (for a maximum period of one month), the limitation of communication with people from outside, the prohibition of permission (for a maximum period of two months) or confinement in a cell without leaving (for a maximum period of 14 days)
Prisoners can communicate with family and friends, with professionals and with entities that help prisoners. Even so, the judge can request incommunicado detention, that is, it will be the judge who authorizes (or not) all communications.
There are three types of communications: face-to-face communications, telephone communications and letter communications.
In-person communications are those that the prisoner has face to face with one or more people. Within face-to-face communications there are also several types:
1. Family visits in rooms.
The prisoner can meet with her family in a room at least once a month. Visits last between 1 and 3 hours.
2. Visits through call centers.
The call rooms are booths with telephones. There is a glass that separates you from the rest of the people and you talk through a phone. That is, you can see the people who come to visit you, but you cannot touch them. Up to 4 people can visit you at the same time and these communications must be notified a few days in advance so that the Center gives them permission. The visit can last up to 40 minutes.
3. Intimate visits with the couple.
If the prisoner has a partner, he can have intimate encounters at least once a month. These meetings take place in a room with a bed and last between 1 and 3 hours.
4. Coexistence visits.
Prisoners with children under 10 years of age are entitled to them. Up to 6 people can go on these visits at a time. They can be ordered once every 3 months. They last between 3 and 6 hours.
5. Communications with lawyers.
They are done in special booths. They are always allowed. A judge cannot prohibit them even if the imprisoned person has bad behavior.
On the other hand, there are telephone communications. The prisoner can call his family, his lawyer and other people by telephone. Each prisoner pays for his own calls from among the 10 people he previously selects, explaining to the center the type of relationship he maintains with them. Each inmate can make a maximum of 10 calls per week, each lasting a maximum of 5 minutes.
Finally there are communications by letter. The prisoner can send all the letters he wants. To do this, he must leave them in the place indicated by the center's workers. The letters must be in a closed envelope and have the name and surname of the person being sent on the return address. To send letters to prisoners in other centers and prisons, the letter is delivered in a sealed envelope to the prison director.
In addition, there are communications per package. Prisoners can send and receive a maximum of two packages per month (one in the case of first-degree prisoners), which cannot contain objects prohibited in prison.
In addition, prisons have an employment and training service, where prisoners can learn new skills to have more opportunities to find a job when they leave prison. There are different workshops with professional training activities. There is also the possibility of working in prison and receiving a salary, which is entered into the prisoner's individual card. Prisoners can also take courses or finish the studies they started before entering prison. In addition, there are leisure, sports and cultural activities.
Credit: https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2023/10/19/los-origenes-de-la-autopsia-cadena-ser/
