The Catalan authorities have decided to dismiss the director of Puig de les Basses prison in Girona after three inmates committed suicide there in four months. The director himself offered to step down, and the search for a new director is already underway. This was reported by the Department of Justice, which emphasized that the situation in the prison has become one of the most critical in the region’s penitentiary system.
According to penitentiary sources, Puig de les Basses accounted for three out of five suicides registered in Catalan prisons since the beginning of the year. This marks a noticeable increase compared to previous years. The latest tragic incident occurred earlier this week: a 28-year-old inmate in the strict regime unit (DERT) took his own life, despite showing no signs of risk and with the suicide prevention protocol not being activated.
Authorities’ response and new measures
In an official statement from the Secretariat of Penalties and Resocialization, subordinate to the Department of Justice, the former director was thanked for his years of service. A new director is expected to be appointed in the coming days. According to department representatives, the leadership change process began immediately after the resignation was submitted.
The Catalan authorities have been trying for several years to reduce the number of tragedies in prisons. At the end of 2025, together with the Ministry of Health, a protocol was adopted to improve psychiatric care for inmates. A year earlier, a separate plan to combat suicides was presented, which includes the creation of permanent risk assessment commissions and a critical incident alert system.
Rising number of tragedies and expert criticism
According to statistics, the suicide rate in Catalan prisons is seven times higher than in the general population. In the first four months of this year, such cases have increased by 30% compared to the same period last year. If the trend continues, the final figures could almost triple the data recorded in 2026.
Experts and human rights activists express dissatisfaction with the results of the measures implemented. The director of the Observatorio del Sistema Penal y los Derechos Humanos and representative of Xarxa Drets i Presó, Iñaki Ribera, stated that the suicide prevention plan announced in 2024 did not have the expected effect. He noted that in Puig de les Basses, they failed to identify the threat even in an inmate who had previously attempted suicide. In his opinion, the current risk indicators do not work, and to improve the situation, it is urgently necessary to increase the number of psychiatrists in prisons.
Context and consequences
The situation in Catalonia’s penitentiary system is causing concern not only among human rights activists but also the authorities. If the current trend continues, the number of suicides in the region’s prisons could reach a record high in recent years. The question of the quality of services and the effectiveness of preventive measures is becoming increasingly pressing amid other high-profile decisions in Spain. For instance, a court recently ordered a major insurance company to pay one million euros to an employee who was dismissed after filing a complaint about nepotism — more details about this case can be found in the article on compensation to a Mapfre lawyer.
In the near future, the Catalan authorities plan to tighten control over the implementation of protocols and review personnel policy in the prison system. The new director of Puig de les Basses is expected to be appointed within the next few days.
