Catalan Justice Minister Gemma Ubasart said on Saturday that some of the inmates had remained locked in their cells around the clock since Thursday evening. In addition, visits from relatives would be prevented. Around 1,200 inmates were affected, she said.
According to reports from state TV broadcaster RTVE and other media, roadblocks were also set up. Those affected included the Quatre Camins youth detention center in La Roca del Vallès and the Wad-Ras women’s prison in Barcelona. But the protests have ended in some prisons, Ubasart said. The protesters are demanding more security measures, but also the minister’s resignation.
“Solve the situation together”
Ubasart admitted that the demands were partly justified. “We again offer the unions that we meet as soon as possible to resolve the situation together.” For example, they want to create 800 new jobs, she emphasized. However, resignations are ruled out. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska also promised improvements.
Prison guards in Catalonia and other regions of Spain have been complaining about a lack of staff for months. After the murder of the cook in the Mas de Enric prison in Tarragona, the situation escalated. An inmate stabbed the woman on Wednesday and then committed suicide. The Justice Department said the prisoner had worked in the kitchen for four years and had shown “normal behavior.”
