Alicante prisons face staff shortages and facility decay, CCOO warns

The CCOO prison union section in Alicante met with Congress deputy Alberto Ibáñez to highlight severe personnel deficits in the three provincial penitentiaries – the regular, psychiatric and Villena centers. The union said the shortage impacts all professional groups, with an aging workforce and no mechanisms for partial retirement or a 35‑hour workweek.

They also reported critical understaffing of nursing, social work (only two staff for thirteen posts), auxiliary care, cleaning, maintenance and kitchen crews, and warned that many prison areas lack air‑conditioning, proper ventilation and adequate living conditions. Ibáñez pledged to forward the demands to the relevant administrations and to visit the facilities in the coming autumn and winter.