PASYDY and the Prison Personnel Branch point out the need to take immediate measures to deal with overcrowding and understaffing in the Central Prisons, with reference to the incidents that occurred on Sunday night, when prisoners set fire to their cells, causing the intervention of the Fire Service and the evacuation of the area.
In a statement, they condemn the incidents, noting that, in addition to the material damage caused, a prison guard was taken to the hospital after smoke inhalation. As they say, the immediate intervention of the staff contributed decisively to the removal of the prisoners and to preventing the spread of the fire to other areas.
PASYDY argues that prison occupancy, which, as it states, exceeds 200% and is the highest in the European Union, combined with the chronic lack of staff, limits the possibilities of effective control and prevention of similar incidents. At the same time, he emphasizes that ensuring the orderly operation of the prison cannot be based solely on the efforts of the understaffed staff.
In this context, the union and the board of directors of the Prison Personnel Branch call on the State to proceed immediately with the strengthening of staffing and the adoption of measures for safe working conditions, while they announce that they will request a meeting with the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Kostas Fitiris, with the aim of discussing solutions to deal with the problem of overcrowding and to improve the operation of the Central Prisons.
Source: KYPE