- He denounces that the prisoner who hanged on Saturday had not been trained against suicides and was only in the cell, although in previous days he declared that “he was not well”. He stresses that he is the third prisoner to commit suicide since the government assumed prison jurisdiction, demonstrating that “the Basque prison model fails”. He has organised a mobilisation for Friday in Vitoria.
Last Saturday, a 47-year-old was found. Hanged in his cell. “Therefore, it appears that the suicide prevention protocol published by the Basque Government on 24 April 2023 was not being implemented to date. All this, despite the fact that in recent days the person said he was not well and was receiving psychiatric treatment,” explains Salhaketa Araba. One of the measures of the protocol against suicides is that the inmate cannot be alone to avoid suicide.
The Government acquired prison competence two years ago and Salhaketa Araba recalled that Saturday was the third prisoner who committed suicide since then. In Zaballa there have been two suicides and one in Martutene. However, he denounces that these deaths are only the tip of the iceberg. “The Basque penitentiary model fails because it is still the usual model.”
Prison vs social insertion
“Knowing that in prisons there are about 75% of people with mental illness, the first step would be for all prisoners (100%) to be under the anti-suicide protocol,” the association said in favor of prisoners. It ensures that prison is incompatible with health, life and social inclusion. On the one hand, the deaths or suicides that are called “natural” because the same prison “creates or increases”. On the other hand, he explains that “it is impossible to socialize a person, separating and isolating them from society in the long term”.
Mobilisation
Salhaketa Araba calls for mobilization to denounce the latest death and the prison system itself. It will be on Friday December 1 at 12:00 in the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca of Vitoria-Gasteiz.