“Women are a minority in prisons in this country, they have neither a voice nor a lobby, and that is why the current system does not meet their needs”, said Konsbruck during the presentation.
Women currently make up around 10% of the prison population at Schrassig and Givenich. According to Konsbruck, while conditions for men have improved at Schrassig following the opening of the Uerschterhaff penitentiary, female inmates have not seen the same progress. She highlighted that Block F, which is reserved for women, should be prioritised for renovation, noting that women are often housed two or three to a cell, whereas men have far more single-occupancy cells.
This recommendation is one of 57 included in the Ombudsman’s report, which also criticises the outdated women’s workshops, still focused on sewing, washing, and ironing. Konsbruck emphasised that the report is not intended as a critique, but as a way to draw attention to the system’s shortcomings.
