More jailed pro-independence leaders granted daytime prison leave

Jailed pro-independence leaders Quim Forn and Dolors Bassa have been granted permission by the prison authorities of their respective penitentiary centers to leave jail for a number of days each week. 

Prison Authorities granted former ministers Quim Forn and Dolors Bassa permission to leave Lledoners and Puig de les Basses prisons for five days and three days a week respectively. 

Quim Forn will be allowed to work, while Dolors Bassa is permitted to look after an elderly family member. 

The announcements come after former parliament speaker Carme Forcadell was granted similar leave on Wednesday, while activists Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart were also granted leave last week. 

On Thursday morning, Jordi Cuixart left Lledoners to work for the first time since his conviction.

Specifically, Quim Forn will be allowed to leave for 12.5 hours each day to work, and return to his cell at night, while Bassa will be able to be out for eight hours each day. 

The decision to allow the jailed pro-independence leaders enjoy partial freedom during the day comes from article 100.2 in the Spanish constitution. According to the department of justice, 405 inmates invoke this article each year to apply for prison leave. 

The applications are then sent to an advisory board consisting of jurists, psychologists, social workers and educators, doctors, and teachers. The constitutional article is applicable to prisoners who fall in the medium category sentencing, which all of the independence leaders are classified as.