Barcelona’s new open-regime prison in Zona Franca will open in January 2027, later than the end-of-2026 date initially planned, according to sources at the Conselleria de Justícia i Qualitat Democràtica, the Catalan government’s justice department, cited by Europa Press.
For residents of Trinitat Vella, the opening will lead to the definitive closure of the neighbourhood prison. About 400 men currently serving third-grade sentences there will initially move to Zona Franca, with transfers due to take place gradually.
Third grade is Spain’s semi-open prison regime. People on it generally sleep at the prison on weekdays but leave during the day for work or training.
A 800-place facility built in two units
The Conselleria sources said the centre will begin operating once work on its equipment has finished, although they did not give an exact opening date in January.
- The development occupies a 6,500-square-metre site in Zona Franca.
- It has 13,000 square metres of usable floor space.
- It will have 800 places, divided between two independent 400-place units around a central courtyard.
- The project has received investment of €35.6 million.
The facility is intended for men in the third-grade regime currently held at Trinitat Vella. Its total capacity will be reached progressively rather than through a single transfer, according to the Conselleria sources cited by Europa Press.
Reported by infobae.com, diariosigloxxi.com, ACN, [email protected], larazon.es, CatalunyaPress.cat, beteve.cat, 20 Minutos Barcelona, elperiodico.com, liniaxarxa.cat, elpuntavui.cat, ccoo.cat, Europa Press Barcelona.
