Catalan prisons approach 95% occupancy and lack staff

Catalan prisons are nearing their capacity limit with 9,586 inmates, while unions demand more staff and question the new criteria for third-degree classification.

Catalan prisons have less and less room to accommodate new admissions. According to El Debate, the inmate population has raised the occupancy of the penitentiary system to 95% of its capacity, forcing the Generalitat to plan for new places.

As of October 14, 2026, Catalan centres house 9,586 people, including sentenced individuals and those on remand. This is nearly 1,900 more than at the end of 2022, when there were 7,729 inmates. The figure has grown by nearly 24% in less than four years, reversing the downward trend that had persisted for years until 2023.

The Department of Justice acknowledges that its previous calculations allowed for some margin, but reality has exceeded those estimates. Nevertheless, the Govern denies that prisons have entered a state of collapse.

To increase capacity, the Govern plans to install four prefabricated modules. Two are planned for the Mas d'Enric centre in El Catllar (Tarragona), and two others in a prison that has yet to be defined. At Mas d'Enric, the works are in the preparation phase, so these places will not alleviate the current occupancy.

The problem is not just about space. Prison unions warn that the staff has not grown at the same pace as the inmates. According to sector data, the number of surveillance workers has increased by 12%, reaching 3,638. UGT considers this figure insufficient and demands more personnel to ensure the security of the centres.

The saturation has also brought the classification of inmates into the centre of the debate. The Catalan Prison Union, SICAP-FEPOL, has filed a complaint with the Superior Prosecutor's Office of Catalonia regarding the new criteria that allow proposals for Article 86.4 of the Penitentiary Regulations for inmates classified in third degree. This measure allows serving the sentence at home, always under supervision.

According to the union, the Administration wants to expand this modality to decongest the centres. The complaint states that the criteria open the door to inmates with a medium or high risk of violence and do not generally require having completed treatment or paid civil liability to the victims.

The focus is on the Generalitat's goal of exceeding 25% of the inmate population in an open regime. According to the union's calculations, this goal would mean incorporating at least 288 more inmates, using the 9,597 prisoners recorded at the end of August as a reference, compared to the current 22%. The union also claims to have received information about pressures on technical teams to increase proposals for third degree.