SPAIN
The Spanish prison system has two different penitentiary administrations: Catalan administration (which depends on Department of Justice) and Spanish administration, from the rest of the country, which depends on Ministry of Home Affairs since 1992. So, just one penitentiary code but two different and independent administrations (own personnel, with its own budget…).
Prison conditions in Spain
There are 68 Spanish prisons and 11 Catalan prisons, actually in Catalonia there’re two prisons built that cannot be opened for lack of funds. Some of these prisons are so old that suffer from lack of conditioning minimum to be inhabited with dignity.
In October 2016, there were 60.175 inmates incarcerated in Spanish prisons, 92,46% of which were men. Immigrants were a total of 17.147, the 28,49% of the whole prison population.
The penitentiary system is divided into 4 penitentiary degrees which correspond with different life regimes: closed regime (first degree), half open (second degree, prisoners can start to get penitentiary benefits), third degree (open regime, just sleep in prison) and probation.
ÀPROPOS
In 2014, the death rate has been of 2,25/1000 inmates. 47,7% of deaths are related to natural causes, while 9,4% are related to HIV, 19,5% to drug use, 18,8% to suicide, 3,1% to accidents, and 1,5% to aggressions. Only in 2014, there have been 24 suicide cases.
Drug abuse is mainly related to alcohol, followed by cocaine, cannabis and heroine.
HCV infection prevalence (18,8%) is way higher that HIV infection
Sources:
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European prison observatory: http://www.prisonobservatory.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16&Itemid=125
- Spanish Prison Administration: Subdirectorate General for Coordination of Prison Health (Subdirección General de Coordinación de Sanidad Penitenciaria). General Secretariat of Penitentiary Institutions Secretaría General de Instituciones Penitenciarias SG IIPP). Ministry of Interior (Ministerio del Interior):
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Epidemiological Bulletin. Volume 21. Number 6. From 23/05/2016 to 19/06/2016.
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Mortality memory
(5%).