The former Minister of Transport José Luis Ábalos and his former advisor, Koldo García, are already in the penitentiary center of Soto del Real. The examining magistrate of the case, Leopoldo Puente, ordered on Thursday their immediate placement in pre-trial detention without bail, considering that there is an “extreme” risk of flight in the framework of the case for alleged irregularities in the awarding of contracts for masks during the pandemic.
Latest information on the imprisonment of Ábalos and Koldo
The measure comes after the request of the popular accusation exercised by the Popular Party, which was also joined by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. With this resolution, Ábalos becomes the first active deputy to go to jail: minutes after the decision was known, the Congress formally asked the Supreme Court for the certification of the indictment and the imprisonment order, a previous step to suspend him from his seat.
The court ruling also reactivates the media spotlight on Soto del Real, a prison known for housing some of the most relevant public figures involved in major corruption cases and for its unusual facilities within the Spanish prison system.
This is the Soto del Real prison where Ábalos and Koldo have been held.
The Soto del Real prison, located some 45 kilometers from Madrid, opened its doors in 1992 with a pioneering model of operation. Its structure was conceived as a small self-sufficient city, incorporating services and spaces not usually found in other prisons, such as a large swimming pool, squash courts, sports courts and training areas.
The State even earmarked a specific item to renovate the pool in 2019, when figures such as Oriol Junqueras or Luis Barcenas passed through the center, which further increased the public perception that it was a “VIP prison”.
The complex has 14 main modules, each with 72 cells, as well as specific units for inmates with different profiles. At its peak it had more than 2,000 inmates; it currently houses around 1,000.
Despite its unique facilities, security remains a priority: a 56-meter watchtower dominates the premises and no movement is allowed outside the framework established by the judicial and penitentiary authority.
Daily life behind the walls: schedules, routines and norms
The day at Soto del Real officially starts at 7:30 a.m. with a sound signal. The inmates must clean their cell (about ten square meters with a bunk bed, table, chair, toilet and shower) before going to breakfast: upon arrival they receive a basic kit with hygiene products, bed linen and a provisional uniform, although they can use their own clothes later.
Communications are strictly regulated: each prisoner has up to ten five-minute calls per week, always to previously authorized numbers.
Activities take place throughout the day: occupational workshops, educational training, therapies and sports. Lunch is served at 13:30 and is followed by a mandatory rest period. In the afternoon, inmates can go to the library, take courses or go out into the courtyard. The day concludes with dinner at 19:30 and lockdown at 21:00.
How it is decided in which module Ábalos and Koldo will be placed
Soto del Real allocates some of its modules to specific profiles: the so-called “respect modules” (such as 9, 10 and 12) concentrate inmates with particularly good behavior. Other modules, such as 1 or 4, house inmates over 45 years of age with no criminal record, so they are usually the first stop for first-time inmates.
To determine the placement of each inmate, the facility conducts a thorough intake process that includes a medical, psychological and social evaluation. The objective is to assign the most appropriate module and reduce possible tensions during the first days in prison.
Although its public image is that of a comfortable facility, Soto del Real has also recorded a high incidence of internal conflicts and aggressions against staff, which shows that managing heterogeneous profiles continues to be a challenge for the center.
A prison with names in politics and economics
Soto del Real has a long history of inmates linked to media cases: Rodrigo Rato, Miguel Blesa, Luis Bárcenas, Francisco Correa, Mario Conde, Gerardo Díaz Ferrán and leaders of the procés such as Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart, among others, have passed through its modules.
More recently, the Secretary of Organization of the PSOE, Santos Cerdán, was also there because of his links to the same case in which Ábalos and Koldo García are now being investigated.
The stays have been diverse: from preventive prisons, such as the ones Ábalos and Koldo are now facing, to final convictions for economic crimes or political corruption.
