Baden-Wurttemberg

Baden-Württemberg
Harassment and deaths – prisoners raise allegations

October 4, 2024, 12:46 p.m

More than 80 inmates of the prison in Ravensburg have signed a letter in which violent allegations are made against the employees and doctors. The Ministry of Justice is reviewing this.

The criticism ranges from alleged harassment, such as the ban on taking a snack to work, to the “massive psychological pressure” exerted on inmates. “Right-wing extremist and drug-addicted staff” work in the prison and insult them like “scumbags.” Letters of complaint to the responsible Ministry of Justice would be destroyed. The “Südwest Presse” (SWP) first reported on the letter, which is now also available to the German Press Agency. According to the SWP, it was signed by more than 80 prisoners.

Prisoners’ allegations

In the letter, the prisoners primarily complained about inadequate medical care. “Where money is squandered elsewhere, savings are made here. With sometimes fatal consequences.” A prisoner who suffered from an infection in his foot died. He should have been taken to the emergency room. “But instead, the inmate was simply locked in his cell and died that same night,” the letter says.

Another young inmate took his own life because he could no longer withstand the “massive psychological suffering” and was suffering from depression. The self-harm rate in the house is very high.

The prisoners also write that psychological support is inadequate. It was not possible to come to terms with the crime and personality because psychologists hardly ever showed up. You could be happy if you see them every eight weeks.

Ministry of Justice is investigating the allegations

When asked, the Justice Ministry said the allegations were being investigated. “If necessary, the necessary measures of official or technical supervision would be taken,” said a ministry spokesman. There is no statistical survey on the number of crime and personality processing treatments. “The supervisory authority does not have any indications of adverse deviations in relation to the Ravensburg correctional facility in comparison to other correctional facilities in the country within the scope of the technical supervision.”

Prisons are obliged to inform about natural or unnatural deaths in an institution. Suicide prevention measures are continually being developed. “If there are indications of a risk of self-harm or suicide during execution, every employee is required to immediately notify the institution’s medical and/or psychological service,” the ministry said in its statement.

Suicides can hardly be prevented

Despite preventive measures, suicides can hardly be completely prevented. Fundamental rights set limits on surveillance and other preventive measures. In order to better address the increased risk of suicide in the first days after incarceration, a criminologically supported screening process was implemented in 2022 to record suicidal risk factors when prisoners enter prison. If suicides occur, follow-up conferences would soon be organized in the affected institutions. Influencing factors would be analyzed and changes introduced for the future.

According to the ministry, the Hinzistobel prison has space for 389 prisoners since it was expanded last year. It is currently overcrowded with 409 prisoners. The background to the overcrowding is that construction work was required at short notice in the Adelsheim prison in June, but should be completed soon.

The state chairman of the prison employees’ union, Michael Schwarz, said that a sense of proportion was required in the matter. “The accusations of right-wing radical statements and drugs are too general for me. 98 percent of my colleagues work according to the law and are conscientious,” said Schwarz.