Magdeburg (dpa/sa) - The overcrowded prison for mentally ill and addicted offenders is still a big problem in Saxony-Anhalt. On the one hand, more and more patients are being admitted, said the chairman of the state's psychiatric committee, Hans-Henning Flechtner, on Monday in Magdeburg. On the other hand, the clientele has changed towards patients with psychoses. There are fewer alcohol dependents and more patients who are dependent on several drugs. Intensive therapy is necessary, but this cannot take place under the current conditions.
The correctional facilities in Bernburg and Uchtspringe are 18 and 22 percent overcrowded, respectively, as the operating company Salus gGmbH announced on request. At the end of September, 212 people were accommodated in the Bernburg correctional facility with a capacity of 179 beds. In Uchtspringe there were 305 patients in 264 beds. Extensions are on the way, but still take time.
The Psychiatric Committee presented its annual report to the President of the State Parliament, Gunnar Schellenberger, and Minister of Social Affairs, Petra Grimm-Benne (SPD). The committee consists of experts who also visit facilities and suggest improvements. In addition to the full enforcement of forensic measures, the Psychiatric Committee points out a lack of medical and medical staff in psychiatric facilities.
