Ombudsperson Gaby Schwarz criticises lack of staff in prisons in ORF Report

Overcrowded cells, too few staff, precarious prison conditions - the ORF "Report" programme discusses abuses in Austrian prisons. As the Ombudsperson responsible for the prison system, Gaby Schwarz monitors the situation very closely and has been calling for years for measures that will lead to improvements for both inmates and staff. "Too few prison officers and too few specialised staff mean that there are fewer opportunities to employ or train prisoners. If people are locked up in detention centres for too long, the potential for violence increases," warns Gaby Schwarz, also pointing to dramatic suicide figures. Other experts are also sounding the alarm.