James Warren
PRISON guards have narrowly averted a full blown riot at the Centro Penitenciario de Cordoba as tensions overflowed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Administration of Penitentiary Institutions (ACAIP) was forced to release a statement describing the events of the past weekend.
The 48 hours of violence reportedly began when officers were alerted to an inmate causing a disturbance shortly after the Sunday dinner distribution at around 8pm in the isolation wing.
As guards entered the cell, they were attacked with a bucket of bleach water which, thanks to the helmet and shields, did not cause any harm.
The inmate had smashed a protective glass ceiling light and was wielding a large shard of broken glass at the prison guards, threatening to kill them.
After a struggle in which two officers suffered slight injuries, the inmate was restrained and taken into solitary confinement.
Just the day before, two inmates attempted to start a riot in the M-10 wing of the prison by flooding their cell with soapy water and barricading themselves inside using mattresses.
They completely destroyed their cell furniture and were shouting at fellow inmates to ‘rise up’ against the guards.
Once again, the guards managed to bring the situation under control before any serious harm was done.
Tensions have been running high in prisons across Andalucia as the COVID-19 lockdown has caused a huge disruption to prison life and routines, while also preventing visits from friends and family.
Prison officials praised the tenacity of the fast-acting guards.
“Thanks to the skill and great professionalism of the prison workers who knew how to resolve the situation, it was controlled.”
