Two prisons remove inmates serving sentences for homicide from kitchen

Ponent and Lledoners prisons have decided to remove all inmates who are serving sentences for homicide or violent crimes from kitchen duties. Prison workers have been protesting and demanding an increase in security measure for almost two weeks after a cook was fatally stabbed on March 13 by an inmate. 

The inmate, who later died by suicide, was serving an 11-year sentence, set to end in April 2027, for stabbing a woman to death in 2016. He had been removed from kitchen duty for four months at the end of 2023 after punching another inmate. He had since been allowed to return to working in the kitchen. 

The department of justice denies that these new rules are related to the fatal incident. 

On Monday it was reported that multiple prison workers of the Ponent and Lledoners prisons came forward saying there had been multiple violent incidents over the weekend. An inmate scratched a Ponent official in the eye and hit another one on the finger, while in the Lledroners prison two officials were hit in the face and chin by different inmates. 

Natural progression 

The Justice Department calls these new rules a “natural” progression in the current context and they emphasize that their first priority is to ensure the safety of prison workers and inmates. 

Ponent prison workers have confirmed the relocation of inmates who were working in the kitchen but are also asking for these measures to be implemented in other areas as well, such as the cafetaria. Inmates who work in the cafetaria have easy access to knives and cleaning products they can pour into food according to the staff members. 

Lledoners prison workers have thanked management for the change while also showing disappointment that management waited two weeks to implement these new rules. 

Justice minister Gemma Ubasart announced on March 18 that there will be a program with 111 new workers to intervene in violent conflicts and talks with unions to incorporate 407 new personnel.