PASYDY and the Prison Staff Branch are calling for immediate measures to tackle overcrowding and understaffing at the Central Prisons, after inmates set fire to their cells on Sunday night, prompting a Fire Service response and the evacuation of the area.
In a statement, the union condemned the incident, noting that beyond the material damage caused, one prison officer was taken to hospital after inhaling smoke. It said staff's prompt intervention was decisive in removing the inmates and preventing the fire from spreading further.
PASYDY said prison occupancy, which it put at over 200% and the highest in the European Union, combined with chronic understaffing, limits the ability to maintain effective control and prevent similar incidents. It stressed that the smooth running of the prison cannot rest solely on the efforts of an understaffed workforce.
The union and the Prison Staff Branch's board are calling on the state to move immediately to strengthen staffing levels and put in place safer working conditions, and said they will request a meeting with the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Costas Fytiris, to discuss solutions to the overcrowding problem and improve how the Central Prisons function.
Source: CNA
