Hundreds of prison workers block access to Catalan jails after inmate kills cook

Penitentiary workers blocked the entrances to various Catalan prisons on Friday morning, in protest of the death of a member of staff at the hands of an inmate who later died by suicide in Mas d'Enric prison on Wednesday.

Outside the Mas d'Enric penitentiary center, around 100 workers blocked the entrances to the facility with tires and tree branches and held up signs demanding more justice, security, and resources.

Workers also brought flowers and lit candles in memory of the late employee, who was a cook in the prison kitchen.

Similar protests are taking place at the Catalan prison facilities Brians 1 and 2, Lledoners, Quatre Camins, Joves, Ponent, and the Wad-Ras women’s prison.

"Our colleagues inside who worked the night shift are holding up stoically, and they're telling us that they're fine and asking that we continue [to protest]," said Núria Nasarré, spokesperson for the UGT union.

Prison unions refuse to meet minister 

Prison unions decided not to attend a meeting called by the Catalan justice department on Friday at 2pm, because they believe that the minister, Gemma Ubasart, and the Secretary of Penal Measures, Amand Calderó, are no longer "valid interlocutors." 

They will not meet with the government until Ubasart and Calderó resign or are dismissed, representatives told the Catalan News Agency (ACN). 

In addition, they said they will maintain the ongoing blockade of prisons until Ubasart and Calderó step down. 

Minister rules out quitting

On Friday afternoon, the justice minister ruled out resigning from her position or sacking Calderó.

Ubasart said that quitting "would certainly be the easiest decision, but not the most correct." 

Justice department leaders and the prison services have the "responsibility and obligation" to manage the crisis, she said. 

The minister once again asked the unions to enter into dialogue to put an end to the "complicated" situation ongoing outside various prisons. 

Call for calm 

Catalan Vice President, Laura Vilagrà, made a call for "calm and tranquility" around lunchtime on Friday. 

Addressing the media at an unrelated event at the Port of Barcelona, Vilagrà said that the government had already planned to increase staffing in prisons, and that it will negotiate more improvements, but asked for normality to be restored immediately. 

Spanish Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, reminded prison officials that their safety and protection, regardless of who is in charge, is a "top priority." 

Prisoners kept in cells 

Prisoners at five Catalan jails are being kept in their cells due to the blockades set up by staff, penitentiary service sources told the Catalan News Agnecy (ACN). 

Only food and medical care is guaranteed, with no visits, outings or workshops are allowed. 

The five prisons – Mas d'Enric, Brians 1 and 2, Ponent, and Lledoners – are the ones with the biggest union protests. 

The other prisons – Barcelona women's prison (Wad-Ras), Puig de les Basses, Quatre Camins and Joves (Youth, for 18 to 21-year-olds) have enough staff to operate almost as normal, with some limitations in certain cases. 

One of the protesters aims was to try to prevent the prisoners from having breakfast in communal areas, but in their cells instead, as well as stopping workshops and outside activities from taking place, and preventing prisoners from going to court or receiving visitors.

The Catalan police, Mossos d’Esquadra, is present at the protests, which come one day after prison union members demonstrated outside the Department of Justice, which resulted in clashes with riot police.

Inmate convicted of murdering a woman

The woman who was killed on Wednesday died from stab wounds caused by the prisoner, who also worked in the jail's kitchen. 

Sources from the prison workers’ union told ACN that the prisoner had recently been removed from kitchen duty because of aggression but had been allowed to return. 

Other sources told ACN that the inmate was an authoritarian and that he shouldn’t have been allowed back in the kitchen. 

The inmate was serving an eleven-year sentence, due to end in April 2027, for stabbing a woman to death in 2016.  

Catalan Justice Minister, Gemma Ubasart, went to Mas d'Enric prison on Thursday where a five-minute silence was observed in memory of the victim.