Recognition of the character of agents of the authority
The PSOE has presented a law proposal to the Congress of Deputies with the aim of recognizing that officials belonging to bodies or levels of penitentiary institutions have the character of agents of the authority for all legal purposes and in the exercise of their functions. This initiative responds to the demands of prison officials after the crisis in Catalan prisons and the protests following the murder of Núria López, cook at Mas d’Enric.
Protection and support for prison officials
The bill also includes provisions to protect and support prison officers. In disciplinary sanctioning procedures, the reports issued by officials who witnessed the events constitute a sufficient basis for adopting the resolution that is appropriate if they provide all the available evidentiary elements and as long as there is no evidence to the contrary. In addition, the administration should compensate penitentiary officials financially when they suffer personal or material damage in the act or on occasion of the service, as long as there is no grief, negligence or serious impropriety.
Separation and safeguarding of prison officials
The proposal also calls for the separation of prison officials from the rest of the detainees in case of arrest and, if they enter the prison, that they be separated from other inmates to safeguard their physical integrity. This initiative is carried through a reform of the General Penitentiary Organic Law.
Collaboration with unions and parliamentary support
The spokesman for the Interior of the PSOE in Congress, David Serrada, has emphasized that this proposal is the result of the work done with the majority prison unions with the intention of collecting their demands and of responding to the main claim of the col· school of prison officials. In a similar proposal presented in 2020, the PP, Junts and Unidas Podemos voted in favor, while ERC opposed it.
Background of the proposal
The legislative initiative registered by the PSOE is identical to one that the Socialists already presented four years ago, in July 2020. On that occasion, in the only vote that took place, the PSOE proposal received support, among others , from the Popular Party, Together for Catalonia and Unidas Podemos. On the other hand, ERC, Bildu, the BNG and the CUP opposed its consideration.