According to Sare and ETXERAT, visas have affected some thirty prisons in the Spanish State. The measure has been to tighten the living conditions of prisoners and explained that “the continuation of the policy of removal and the application of the regime of exception to Basque prisoners makes the situation even more serious”.

ETXERAT and Sare have explained that in prisons where visas have not been suspended, they have been reduced or changed in date. As far as restrictions are concerned, only one or two persons are allowed to enter the visa. In some prisons, visiting days have been moved from weekend to week. As a result, the two associations have denounced that there are prisoners who have not seen some relatives of prisoners in six months.

The lobby against a new, increasingly strong prison policy

The Permanent Social Forum (PERMANENT SOCIAL FORUM) has also expressed its views on prison policy this Monday. The Forum has ensured that the “lobby” that puts pressure on the penitentiary policy not to change in Spain has an increasing influence: “This lobby is based on the logic of the past and aims to condition the steps to be taken on this issue, especially in institutional policy, but also in judicial or administrative decisions.” According to the Forum, the lobby is made up of associations and people from different areas, including “political, associative, media actors, the organized sector of victims and the public prosecutor’s office and judges”.

These statements have been presented at a press conference by representatives of the Social Forum at a press conference in Madrid to present a few days. The conference will be held on Thursday under the title Euskal Herria: a new prison policy for a new normality.