Feldkirch: Prison renovation is getting closer-hope for prisoners!
Feldkirch: Prison renovation is getting closer-hope for prisoners!
In the run -up to long discussions about the urgently needed renovation of the Feldkirch judge, there is finally positive news. Institutional manager Claudia Leitner announces that the prison is top of the list for the upcoming renovation projects. In an interview with ORF Vorarlberg, she emphasizes that a new building is planned together with the renovation of the listed main building. "[...] As soon as the budget negotiations are completed and money is made available, this new building will also take place in combination with the renovation of the old stock," explains Leitner. This could help the inmates to better detention, in particular through the creation of light rooms and more residence options.
overcrowding and challenges
The existing conditions are tense: with 121 beds, the capacity is largely busy, there are only eight places left. The branch in Dornbirn, which has been closed for two years, means that the occupancy in Feldkirch increases. The situation is reinforced by the lack of sufficient staff, although the head of the institution reports that new employees are hired and trained. However, a decisive problem remains: a significant part of the prisoners hardly or no German speaks, which makes the use of interpreters essential. According to Leitner, around 20 percent of the inmates are from non-EU countries.
Historically, the prison has a long history of overcrowding and inadequate sanitary facilities. As early as the 1890s, the structural condition of the prison in Feldkirch was problematic. Reports from this time describe the closest conditions where up to six prisoners were housed in a cell. The constant overcrowding and the inadequate space have repeatedly led to demands for a new location, but these plans were only hesitantly promoted, as a chronicle in the Feldkirch City Archives shows. Ultimately, the current renovation is not only a question of modernization, but a necessary measure to improve the conditions of detention of the occupants, which are often subject to financial difficulties and therefore have to serve short punishments, as Leitner notes.The historical background and the current challenges of the Feldkirch judge illustrate how important it is to modernize the facilities in order to meet the current requirements. These developments are crucial to improve the conditions for the inmates and tackle the urgent need for renovation, as well as from justiz.gv.at
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| Ort | Feldkirch, Österreich |
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