The Generalitat of Catalonia will authorize psychiatrists to veto the admission of prisoners to solitary confinement cells if they assess the risk of suicide. This is one of the measures announced this Monday by the Ministry of Justice after the suicide of three detainees over the last month and a half. The shock plan also envisages putting “less durable clothing”, such as towels or sheets, in the cells of prisoners at risk of suicide and in isolation.
“We are not starting from zero, neither in suicides nor in the design of prevention measures,” said Justice Minister Ramon Espadaler. The head of the department highlighted the work already carried out, such as the 2019 suicide prevention program, which re-evaluates the inmate every two years, and the government agreement of October 2023 to deal with incidents linked to suicidal and violent behavior , which made it possible to integrate 21 new professionals.
Up to three inmates have committed suicide in different Catalan prisons in the last month and a half. On September 20, an inmate of Lledoners prison. On September 5, an inmate from Brians-1 also committed suicide. The last case is that of an inmate from the Puig de les Basses center (Figueres, Girona), who committed suicide in a temporary solitary confinement cell, one of the harshest prison regimes and most harmful to health mental.
These three deaths represent eleven inmate suicides so far this year, a figure that exceeds the six that occurred in 2023 and is approaching the dark figure of 14 in 2022, one of the highest in recent years.
Inmate suicides are one of the biggest problems in prisons. Long sentences and prison dynamics have a negative impact on the mental health of prisoners, which is why professionals recommend as early as possible measures involving the prisoner’s contact with the outside world and the reestablishment of his social ties outside of prison. the prison.
More than half of inmates in Catalan prisons suffer from some type of mental health problem, a figure seven times higher than in the rest of the population, according to a study carried out at the end of 2022 by Justicia i Pau.
In this context, and taking into account the Anaïs project, in which the 54 cases of suicide were studied between January 2018 and June 30, 2023, the Government presented 10 new measures, among which it wants to restrict access to “deadly” tools, bedding and hygiene, for prisoners at risk of suicide. In some cells, they want to remove bars from windows to prevent drownings and install glass so other inmates can control the behavior of at-risk inmates.
Espadaler also explained that he wants to create in the next 15 days a permanent table to prevent suicides in prison, made up of all the agents involved who will carry out a monthly review of the data and its evolution, and will raise awareness and train all the agents involved in the centers. penitentiaries. In addition, they will activate an alert system in response to critical incidents and involve inmates through a mailbox so that they become “active agents in detecting possible risks” and can warn of the behavior of other inmates.
“We will integrate the figure of the support trainee to support people at risk of suicide. Oftentimes, loneliness is not necessarily a cause, but it is one of the issues that can explain this tendency toward suicide,” Espadaler said.
Other measures include intensifying primary care follow-up with low and moderate suicide risk protocols; allow alternative spaces for conflict resolution with video surveillance and the intensive intervention of special services (Dert) to detect contraindications to the application of isolation.
The councilor also explained that another measure is to guarantee connectivity and improve information on prisoners among health and prison professionals, and to study the risk of suicide from a gender perspective in the 3 next months.
“Suicide prevention is a challenge that affects society as a whole. In the prison sector, we have a great responsibility. This is one of the important challenges of this legislature. Every suicide is a failure,” Espadaler guaranteed.
