The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, presides this Thursday at the Madrid VII-Estremera Penitentiary Center the celebration events of La Merced, patron saint of Penitentiary Institutions. The day comes conditioned by the imminent vote in Congress on the reform of the organic penitentiary law for the recognition of workers as agents of authority.
In a statement, CSIF has highlighted the parliamentary negotiation, "mainly with PSOE and PP," which will culminate on September 30 with the vote on the recognition of agents of authority, a historical demand of prison staff to try to contain the increase in conflictivity.
Despite this, CSIF has announced that it will not attend the La Merced events as it considers that, although progress has been made in the legislative field, "attacks continue to increase day by day due to the government's policy of false goodwill." The union adds that structural problems persist such as staff shortages, insufficient training, and non-compliance with schedules and work-life balance.
Saturated prisons and rise of repeat offenders
Acaip-UGT has also positively assessed the modification of Article 80 of the General Penitentiary Organic Law, which will allow penitentiary officials to be considered agents of authority, although it warns that this advance comes in a "critical context of overcrowding and lack of resources."
The union organization has emphasized that the inmate population has increased by more than 9,000 inmates over the last five years and that the predominant profile of prisoners is linked to "repeat offenders" and their integration into organized gangs, technological crime, and "strongly destructured behaviors." All of this, warns Acaip-UGT, translates into an increase in conflictivity and daily episodes of violence within the centers.
In light of this situation, Acaip-UGT demands measures such as the provision of modern protective equipment adapted to all anatomies, the updating of coercive instruments, and continuous training tailored to the new types of crimes that officials face.
The central act of Merced in Estremera, in which the general secretary of Penitentiary Institutions, Ángel Luis Ortiz, will also participate, will include the delivery of the medals for Penitentiary Merit, with which the trajectories of members and collaborators of the penitentiary administration are distinguished.
It is expected that the ombudsman, Ángel Gabilondo; the Secretary of State for Security, Aina Calvo; the Government delegate in the Community of Madrid, Francisco Martín; the general director of Criminal Execution and Social Reintegration of Penitentiary Institutions, Miguel Ángel Vicente; and the director of the penitentiary center, Raúl Ors, along with other invited authorities, will attend the ceremony.