How do women and men live and serve time together in mixed Spanish prisons? (8 photos)

Most people don't even realize that in the Spanish region of Tierra de Caldelas, located in the province of Ourense in the northwest of the country, an unusual correctional facility has existed since 2021.





Unlike traditional prisons, it houses both men and women who have broken the law. It is one of the first "mixed format" prisons in Spain, where both sexes are not only housed in the same area, but also interact in everyday life.



This prison was featured in a news report by FRANCE24English, which you can easily find online

It's only been 4 years since this prison was opened, but during this time, more than 20 similar mixed prison blocks have already appeared across the country. However, most of them are heavily biased towards men, due to their predominance among all prisoners.

Why did Spain create mixed prison blocks?





For several years now, the Spanish authorities have been actively developing an experimental project to create a new type of prison, focused on so-called "gender equality", where both men and women must serve their sentences together.

About two dozen such units are already operating throughout the country, and today they contain about 400 women and 1,200 men.



A corridor in a mixed Spanish prison with a view of the cells

Of course, this is just a drop in the ocean compared to the total number of prisoners in Spain (over 50 thousand), but the effect of the experiment was unexpectedly positive.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been pushing an initiative to expand such prisons since 2023, since, according to the government, they help prisoners better prepare for life in the outside world, where men and women usually interact on a daily basis.

“People who are isolated for years often lose the skills to coexist socially with people of the opposite sex. But in freedom they will have to interact with them. Mixed prisons help to preserve and not lose this incredibly important social experience of living in society,” explains reform observer Ana Suarez.

The main task of the Spanish authorities is to more effectively adapt convicts to normal life after release.

Interestingly, in the four years of the project’s existence, no serious incidents have been registered between men and women in these mixed prisons. Moreover, many prisoners from traditional prisons themselves ask to be transferred to such units.

What is life like in such mixed prisons?



In Spanish mixed prisons, men and women not only serve their sentences in the same facility, but also interact actively in their daily lives.

For example, the mixed prison of Teixeiro in Galicia offers prisoners the opportunity to play sports together, such as football, participate in group therapy and vocational training, and work, cook and eat together in a communal dining room.​



Sometimes male and female prisoners develop a liking for each other, and then some of them even decide to shower together, which one way or another leads to various kinds of sexual relations - and although this happens by mutual consent, the prison administration does not officially welcome such actions, but rather prohibits them. But usually turns a blind eye to this if it happens.



Sometimes couples who met in such prisons, served time together and were released had children

And yes, as you may have already read, despite the opportunity to spend time together in the common area, communicate, play football or eat, men and women live exclusively in separate cells (divided into women's and men's zones) - living together in this prison is still strictly prohibited. But this clause does not prevent these men and women from interacting with each other in their everyday (or so-called) free time.

Who and how ends up in such prisons?



Selection to mixed prisons is voluntary, taking into account the written request of each prisoner. However, the opportunity to receive consent from the state for a prisoner to be transferred to a mixed prison is a very serious privilege.

And to receive this privilege, you must meet strict criteria:

The articles for which the person was sent to prison, his behavior in prison and the degree of his danger to others are taken into account, this point is especially true for men. If a person is not dangerous to others, then he has the right to be transferred to a mixed prison.

Persons convicted of sexual crimes are not subject to transfer to a mixed prison and do not have the right to do so at all.

Those who, while serving their sentence, were the initiators of conflicts, attacked prisoners, guards or provoked their cellmates to do so are also cut off.

One of the prisoners transferred to the mixed prison, Fernando, said in an interview that he was initially skeptical about the idea of ​​​​the transfer - but since he faced ridicule and threats from various gangs in a regular prison, he decided to take this experience out of fear for his life. However, after moving to the mixed block, Fernando was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere here.

"It's calmer here. In a regular prison, every day is a fight for respect and survival, especially if you are a man who does not want to be at the beck and call of gangs. One wrong look - and a fight begins, sometimes a stabbing. But here (in mixed prisons) men become calmer and more reasonable, because there are women around, and because if they behave differently, they will return to regular prisons," Fernando tells a Spanish newspaper.

Women also end up in such blocks only voluntarily, after a written request. Some of them complain that men often interpret any attention from them as flirting, but in general, most prisoners consider being in a mixed block a real privilege.

Although there are noticeably fewer women in such blocks, there are almost no conflicts about this. After all, getting here is a kind of bonus for good behavior and the ability to control yourself.

Therefore, many prisoners began to serve their sentences in ordinary prisons much more calmly in order to get a chance to be transferred to a mixed prison.

In general, mixed prison blocks in Spain demonstrate positive results, contributing to a more effective reintegration of prisoners into society and a decrease in the level of aggression among convicts.