The Voice on the Frontline: ACAIP on Staff Safety, Wellbeing, and the Future of Corrections in Spain

Behind every prison system, there are people. People who show up every day in demanding, high-risk environments, often without adequate recognition, resource, or institutional support. ACAIP, the Agrupación de los Cuerpos de la Administración de Instituciones Penitenciarias, exists to ensure that those people are seen, heard, and protected. 

Founded in 1990 and the most representative trade union within the Spanish prison service without interruption since 1994, ACAIP represents the full breadth of the penitentiary workforce, from frontline prison officers and administrative staff to senior managers and healthcare personnel. In this member spotlight, ACAIP shares its perspective on the pressing challenges facing correctional staff in Spain today, the initiatives it champions, and what it believes the global corrections community must do differently to build systems that genuinely work for everyone inside them. 

Could you introduce ACAIP and explain the role it plays in representing correctional personnel and prison administration professionals across Spain? 

ACAIP is the largest trade union representing prison staff in Spain, having been founded in 1990. Since 1994, without interruption, it has remained the most representative trade union within the Spanish prison service, bringing together professionals from all sectors of the penitentiary system, including frontline prison officers, administrative staff, senior managers, and healthcare personnel. 

Thanks to this majority representation, ACAIP participates in all collective bargaining and consultation bodies concerning working conditions, both within the prison service and across the wider Public Administration. This reach gives the union a unique ability to advocate not only for individual members but for the profession as a whole, influencing the legislative, regulatory, and operational environment in which Spain's correctional workforce operates. 

What are the most pressing concerns currently facing correctional staff in Spain, and how is ACAIP advocating for improvements in working conditions, safety, and professional recognition? 

The scale of the challenge facing prison staff in Spain is striking. At present, a member of staff is assaulted every 15 hours in a Spanish prison, and the severity of these incidents is increasing. ACAIP identifies several interconnected factors behind this trend. 

An outdated disciplinary system means that inmates often perceive acts of aggression against staff as having few or no meaningful consequences. Staff shortages compound the problem, particularly among healthcare professionals. Spanish prisons currently face a shortage of more than 75 per cent of the doctors required, with implications not only for healthcare provision but for institutional security. Meanwhile, a significant proportion of inmates suffer from undiagnosed mental health disorders, increasing the risk of violent incidents and vulnerability to radicalisation. 

The growing presence of new substances, including fentanyl and synthetic cannabinoids, poses a further challenge. These drugs are extremely difficult to detect and can cause severe behavioural disturbances within seconds of consumption. Added to this is a significant increase in the overall prison population and a growing generational gap between newly recruited officers and experienced staff, a challenge ACAIP is actively addressing through a European consortium project focused on knowledge and experience transfer across generations. 

Technology presents both a challenge and an opportunity. The increasing use of drones and the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence are reshaping the operational landscape of prisons. ACAIP argues that ensuring staff receive appropriate training to understand, manage, and benefit from these technologies is essential. 

In response, ACAIP is advocating for legislative and regulatory changes across several fronts: the formal recognition of prison staff as Agents of Public Authority with the right to receive compensation in cases of harm or injury in the course of duty, currently awaiting parliamentary approval; the revision of the Protocol on Assaults Against Staff to cover verbal abuse and sexual harassment alongside physical violence; and a new organisational model that allows the prison system to adapt more effectively to current realities. 

Staff wellbeing and resilience are increasingly recognised as critical to effective prison management. What initiatives or support structures does ACAIP champion to address the mental health and professional development needs of its members? 

ACAIP considers the health, safety, and wellbeing of prison staff to be of fundamental importance. The union promotes initiatives through collective bargaining and consultation bodies aimed at improving working conditions and welfare, and during the COVID-19 pandemic it proposed measures that significantly reduced infection risk among prison staff while successfully advocating for prison employees to be recognised as a priority group in the national vaccination programme. 

Through its Legal and Occupational Health Departments, ACAIP provides support and follow-up for members requiring workplace adaptations or temporary reassignments for health-related reasons. The union also has two European-certified specialists in trauma support for officers working with violent, high-risk, terrorist, or radicalised inmates, recognising that the psychological impact of such work is often not immediately visible and may only emerge long after the events that caused it. 

ACAIP also sponsors sporting events and recreational activities that strengthen professional bonds, encourage teamwork, and foster a sense of community among colleagues. Participation in negotiation forums has led to improvements in procedures relating to occupational accidents involving biological hazards, medical examinations, and protective equipment. 

Reflecting the changing profile of Spain's correctional workforce, more than 65 per cent of new recruits joining the prison service each year are women. Following a proposal submitted by ACAIP, all Spanish prisons will soon be equipped with dedicated breastfeeding and nursing rooms for staff members with young children, a practical and meaningful recognition of that shift. 

From your experience representing frontline professionals, what do you believe correctional systems most need to do differently to better support both staff and the people in their care? 

ACAIP's assessment is direct: most prison systems lag significantly behind the realities of both society and the prison environment itself. Changes required to adapt to emerging challenges are too often implemented slowly and only after problems have already become evident, with consequences borne by both prison staff and the individuals in their care. 

The union's core argument is that the voices of frontline professionals must be given greater weight in the decisions that shape correctional systems. These are the individuals who experience the daily realities, challenges, and consequences of change within prisons. They should not be regarded as mere numbers, but as highly skilled professionals whose experience and expertise are invaluable. 

Programmes and policies imposed through a purely top-down approach may possess legal legitimacy, but they often lack the practical and social legitimacy necessary for successful implementation. By contrast, involving prison staff in decision-making processes and recognising their professional knowledge fosters ownership, commitment, and engagement, ultimately leading to better outcomes for both staff and those in custody. 

How does membership in ICPA complement ACAIP's work, and in what ways do you hope to contribute to and benefit from this international community of correctional professionals? 

For ACAIP, membership in ICPA carries a twofold value. First, it represents international recognition of the work the union has carried out for decades in improving working conditions and promoting the professional development of those within the Spanish prison system. Second, it opens a channel for genuine learning and international cooperation, allowing ACAIP to learn from the experiences of other prison systems, identify what works and what does not, and bring those insights back to benefit its members and inform its proposals to the prison administration. 

Although ACAIP has only recently joined ICPA, it has already begun contributing by sharing its publications with the wider membership and accessing valuable resources produced by other members. Online and in-person meetings, conferences, and events offer further opportunities to build lasting professional relationships and exchange knowledge and good practice across borders. 

ACAIP acknowledges that, as a highly active but relatively small organisation, it will not always be possible to attend every in-person event. Nevertheless, it is committed to participating in as many activities and initiatives as resources allow, bringing the perspective of Spain's frontline correctional workforce to the global conversation.