The association of prison workers, (TAMPM), which groups together the majority of Penitentiary Institution workers, expresses its "absolute concern regarding the situation experienced in recent days at the Lanzarote Penitentiary Center".
According to them, "several officers have had to intervene once again to transfer two inmates to the isolation department on Saturday night." Around 12:00 a.m., one of the inmates demanded to go to another cell because another inmate had to give him a pill, "later he would do the same to request to go to the commissary," the association points out. "It seems obvious that he was under the influence of some type of narcotic substance," they add.
When several of the prison workers arrive at the scene, they find one of the inmates banging on the door, thereby generating an unnecessary state of alarm in the rest of the prison population. He is transferred to the isolation department, and it is then "when his cellmate grabs a blade and lunges at the officers present, being quickly subdued by them." Furthermore, "not satisfied with this, while being transferred to the isolation module, he was throwing threats of all kinds along the way, such as "I'm going to kill you when I get out on the street, you sons of bitches."
Once searched in said department, a prison shank was seized from him. The association recalls that just two days ago a colleague was injured when having to subdue another inmate. "In just over a month, three prison workers at this establishment have been assaulted in the performance of their duties."
The group explains that "if the officer is not ultimately injured during an assault, it is not recorded in the prison statistics."
Once again from the association, "we must raise our voices to make known the precarious conditions in which we work. With non-existent security and a Management incapable of putting an end to this situation. Tahiche is a ship adrift without a captain or rudder."
