Catalan prisons: rise in relationships between inmates and staff worries unions
Unions denounce that relationships between prison staff and inmates in Catalonia go unpunished. The case of an activity leader who helped an inmate escape…
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Forbidden love in Catalan prisons: staff who fall for inmates and end up behind bars
A silent but growing phenomenon is worrying prison unions in Catalonia: romantic relationships between prison staff and inmates, which in some cases have led to crimes. These are not isolated incidents, but a pattern that, according to union sources, is tolerated internally with transfers or even promotions, without anyone being held accountable.
The most striking case is that of a drama instructor who fell in love with an inmate, hid him at her home after his escape and later took part in a bank robbery with him. Both ended up behind bars again, but this time she was the one serving time. The story, reported by The Objective, shows how far hybristophilia — the attraction to incivil — can go in an environment where the line between personal and professional blurs.
Internal impunity: transfers instead of sanctions
Unions denounce that most of these behaviours are never pursued through disciplinary action. "They move the inmate or the officer to another prison and case closed," they say. There are even cases of officers who, after causing scandals, have been promoted to management positions. This lack of consequences fuels repeat offences: the same staff members "spread love" across different facilities.
The situation is not unique to Catalonia, but the region has seen several recent episodes. Some analysts link it to an ideological drift that replaces public judgement with personal criteria: the officer decides the inmate is a "good person" without considering their previous crimes.
The dilemma of female supervision
Part of the debate focuses on the presence of female officers in men's units. The equality principle clashes with the reality of emotional dynamics that can put security at risk. Although there is no official data, unions are calling for stricter protocols and greater psychological screening of staff working in direct contact with inmates.
Meanwhile, cases keep piling up, and internal impunity remains the fuel for a problem that, if not addressed, promises more headlines.
A silent but growing phenomenon is worrying prison unions in Catalonia: romantic relationships between prison staff and inmates, which in some cases have led to crimes. These are not isolated incidents, but a pattern that, according to union sources, is tolerated internally with transfers or even promotions, without anyone being held accountable.
The most striking case is that of a drama instructor who fell in love with an inmate, hid him at her home after his escape and later took part in a bank robbery with him. Both ended up behind bars again, but this time she was the one serving time. The story, reported by The Objective, shows how far hybristophilia — the attraction to incivil — can go in an environment where the line between personal and professional blurs.
Internal impunity: transfers instead of sanctions
Unions denounce that most of these behaviours are never pursued through disciplinary action. "They move the inmate or the officer to another prison and case closed," they say. There are even cases of officers who, after causing scandals, have been promoted to management positions. This lack of consequences fuels repeat offences: the same staff members "spread love" across different facilities.
The situation is not unique to Catalonia, but the region has seen several recent episodes. Some analysts link it to an ideological drift that replaces public judgement with personal criteria: the officer decides the inmate is a "good person" without considering their previous crimes.
The dilemma of female supervision
Part of the debate focuses on the presence of female officers in men's units. The equality principle clashes with the reality of emotional dynamics that can put security at risk. Although there is no official data, unions are calling for stricter protocols and greater psychological screening of staff working in direct contact with inmates.
Meanwhile, cases keep piling up, and internal impunity remains the fuel for a problem that, if not addressed, promises more headlines.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (17 replies).
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