Overview
- On Thursday June 11 the Congress plenary approved a change to Article 80 of the 1979 Penitentiary Law that formally classifies prison officials as agents of authority.
- The new text grants a presumption of veracity to staff reports, requires mandatory theoretical and practical training, mandates compensation for personal or material harm in service, and orders separation and security guarantees during transfers and admissions.
- The vote won broad backing from PSOE, the PP and the PNV while ERC and EH Bildu voted against it and parties such as Sumar described the measure as insufficient.
- Lawmakers and unions framed the reform as a response to rising attacks on prison staff, but implementation questions remain because prisons are partly devolved to autonomous communities and the transfer of prison healthcare is still unresolved.
- Unions praised the change as a long‑standing demand that should improve day‑to‑day safety for workers, while critics warn the presumption of veracity could be misused and call for clear oversight, concrete compensation rules and safeguards for inmates' rights.