Heidelberg (dpa / lsw) – After his defeat in the Heidelberg municipal council, Social Affairs Minister Manne Lucha (Güne) hopes to be able to enforce a temporary prison regime in the ex-prison “Fauler Pelz”. According to a statement on Friday, he is relying on the help of the Karlsruhe Regional Council to accommodate 80 drug-addicted offenders in the state-owned building.
On Thursday evening, the Heidelberg municipal council voted to postpone the state’s building application for the modernization of the ex-prison for a year. According to observers, if this delay were to occur, it would be the death knell for the interim use that the ministry is aiming for and is limited to three years.
On the one hand, the authority will decide in the proceedings against the cessation of construction work on the property ordered by the city, explained a spokesman for Luchas. On the other hand, they will assess whether the building planning regulations may be deviated from because of the importance of the project for the common good. From Lucha’s point of view, the relief of the overcrowded clinics for criminals with addiction and psychiatric disorders is essential. In addition, if the “Lazy Fur” is lost, the risk increases that even more offenders will have to be released prematurely due to a lack of space in the correctional facility.
