Photograph 34
Long-term Deprivation of Liberty
145. Given the structure and layout of the building at the «Las Palmeras» center,
there are no physically separated units or groups, and the 12 bedrooms for mi
nors are located along two parallel hallways on the first floor of the building,
which is used exclusively to house these bedrooms. Despite the fact that it is im
possible to physically separate minors in different units, they are separated ac
cording to the educational group to which they are assigned. These educational
groups include the following: the reception group, the educational development
groups from one to four and the final group. The distribution of units or groups
at the «Teresa de Calcuta» center and the accommodation of minors in each one
correspond to the Internal Stage Classification Program followed. These stages
consist of an initial stage, observation stage, development stage and final stage.
Each one of them has specific guidelines or requirements to advance to the next
stage or to be demoted, depending on the regime in which minors are in custody,
in other words a closed, semi-open or open regime. This system of promotion and
incentives allows minors with the greatest problems of self-control to have a more
adapted observation area that is better suited to their real capacities and needs. At
the «Zambrana» center, the fundamental criteria for the distribution and place
ment of minors in units with other minors is age and their cognitive and perso
nality development. The center has nine units, which are either residential or
coexistence units and non-residential units. There are eight residential units,
consisting of four units for boys, one unit for girls, one therapeutic unit and one
admissions unit.
The criteria for the
146. On being admitted to a center, all minors are given written information
regarding their rights and obligations, general organization matters, operational
rules, disciplinary regulations and means for lodging requests, complaints or ap
peals. These informative booklets are available in several languages in the two
centers of the Community of Madrid, but not at the «Zambrana» center in Vall
adolid, contrary to the content of paragraph 176 of the 2011 Annual Report. In
the course of an interview of a minor in the center’s Admissions Unit, who had
been admitted three days before, the minor stated that he had been properly
treated at all times but it was noted that he had not been given the Information
When they are admitted,
THE OMBUDSMAN OF SPAIN
distribution of minors vary
from one center to another
minors are given
information on their rights
and obligations, general
organization matters and
operating and disciplinary
rules
117
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