Pikassent (Valencia) prison

Main article: Valencia (province)

In only 20 minutes drive by the machine or public transport from the city of Valencia, in the small country town of Picassent, there is the biggest prison in the territory of all Spain.

For 2019 in the Valencian prison in the city of Pikassent about 2,500 convicts of both sexes serve judicial sentences that is an absolute record for Spain.

The jail conducts the history since 1990 when in the suburb of Valencia it was decided to build the place for keeping of prisoners exceeding the sizes and conditions of keeping all that were available in the Kingdom at that time.

The huge penitentiary center in the Valencian city of Centro Penitenciario de Picassent was stretched in the territory in 378,824 square meters from which 124,466 square meters occupy directly buildings where prisoners contain. In total the prison in Pikassenta contains 1,329 cameras for accommodation of convicts (both men, and women), and 239 additional rooms where appointments or meetings with relatives^[1] are held].

Actually, the penitentiary center in Pikassenta represents a huge complex from three buildings, two of which – directly prison institutions, and the third – detention center of the people who are in the mode of restriction of freedom (Centro de régimen abierto o semilibertad - CIS).

Unlike other prisons of Spain, the penitentiary center in Pikassenta is a modern complex and reminds sanatorium more. Here prisoners have the pool, the sports center and even theater where they can put literary plays or organize concerts by the major holidays.

Besides, the prison, largest in Spain, has own infrastructure and the system of communications, i.e., is completely independent institution. There are certain premises for men, and departments only for women, there are the punishment cell and cameras for solitary confinement and the other constructions providing sociocultural leisure of prisoners as, for example, library, audiences for independent training and even the sports complex with the pool, the tennis court, the squash field and completely equipped gym.

Besides, in the territory of the biggest prison in Spain there is the infirmary with offices of specialists, audiences for different programs of leisure which prisoners can visit in free time.

But along with the developed infrastructure, the Valencian penitentiary center in Pikassenta is well-known also for sad incidents. As the prison in Valencia is the largest in the country, the number of the prisoners who are contained here many times exceeds the number of service staff therefore it is considered one of the most unsafe, and it means, as escapes are made from here quite often, without mentioning already internal problems with discipline.

So, in May, 2019 seven employees of prison in Pikasenta got slight injuries. The prisoner who is considered one of the most dangerous barricaded in the camera, having armed with metal objects and splinters of glass. While the violent prisoner was twisted, he managed to strike blows and cuts to seven security guards. According to media, the prisoner repeatedly arranged provocations and showed aggressive behavior both in this, and in other prisons. After the incident he was transferred to the solitary confinement^[2].

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