Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

March 24, 2025

Italy: prison suicides up to 24 so far this year after 3 in a day

News

Europe Mental health Suicide Overcrowding Alternatives Rehabilitation Italy

There have been 24 suicides in Italy’s prisons so far this year after three imprisoned people took their own lives in jails in Avellino, Genoa and Trieste, penitentiary police union SPP said. The union said that, at this rate, last year’s record of 91 prison suicides will be broken in 2025.

March 3, 2025

Italy: prisons have 132.4% overcrowding rate

News

Pre-trial detention Europe Material conditions Suicide Overcrowding Italy

Italy’s chronically packed prisons had a population of 62,132 imprisoned people in February compared to the 46.910 places available, with an average overcrowding rate of 132.4%, according to data released by the guarantors of the rights of persons deprived of their personal freedom.

February 24, 2025

Italy: imprisoned person kills self at Cremona, 14th prison suicide this year

News

Europe Suicide Overcrowding Italy

An imprisoned man hanged himself in his cell at Cremona Prison Monday morning bringing Italy’s prison suicide toll this year to 14, the UILPA warders’ union said.

July 6, 2024

Italy: 50 prison suicides, 16 more than in 2023 says Ombudsman

News

Europe Material conditions Suicide Overcrowding Italy

“This is a high figure compared to the same month of July in 2023 and 2022, when 34 were recorded (with an increase of 16 deaths)” read the guarantor’s report. “There are 48 men and 2 women, 27 are Italian and 23 foreigners, from 14 different countries.

March 13, 2024

Italy: the country plans prison crackdown that pushes Western boundaries

News

Europe Justice Material conditions Protest Overcrowding Italy

Prisoners in the northern Italian city of Parma are on hunger strike over poor sanitation and overcrowding, the latest in a spate of protests in the country’s jails where cases of suicide and self-harm are at an all-time high.

August 25, 2023

Italy: justice minister visits prison where 2 inmates died as advocates warn of summertime suicides

Europe Mental health Suicide Italy

November 28, 2022

Italia: 45 probed for 'torturing' Ivrea prison inmates

News

Europe Torture Violence Italy

Guards, doctors,functionaries and ex-wardens are under investigation

April 14, 2022

Italy: walling up madness

Analysis

Europe Access to legal rights Discipline Mental health Drugs Material conditions Italy

The Ministry of Justice oversees the prison system. The organisation of health care in prisons has been the responsibility of the National Health System (Servizio sanitario nazionale, SNS) since 2008. There are many prisoners with mental health problems.

January 6, 2022

Italie : En prison, “la génération de mafiosi la plus cultivée de tous les temps”

News

Culture Europe Long-term prisoners Activities Italy

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: French

July 1, 2021

Italia: Italia investigará sus cárceles tras la difusión de un vídeo que exhibe las palizas de oficiales a los presos

News

Europe Torture Violence Italy

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: Spanish

June 29, 2021

Italia: 52 warders arrested over prison lockdown violence

News

Coronavirus Europe Protest Torture Italy

Italian police on Monday arrested 52 prison officers on suspicion of mistreating prisoners in quelling a riot sparked by a case of COVID-19 among inmates in the middle of the first virus lockdown last year. Naples police sent in special penitentiary police forces after the April 6 riot at the jail…

April 28, 2021

Italia: detenidos en Francia siete exmiembros de las Brigadas Rojas italianas

News

Europe Foreign prisoners Justice Violence Italy

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: Spanish

March 22, 2021

Italy: “political action is powerless"

Interview

Coronavirus Europe Health Protest Overcrowding Italy

The second wave of the pandemic hit prisons with overwhelming force. What can the authorities do?

February 8, 2021

Italie: en prison avec des djihadistes, Cesare Battisti démarre une grève de la faim

News

Europe Discipline Material conditions Protest Italy

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: French

May 11, 2020

Italy: government looks to reverse flood of mafiosi leaving jail over coronavirus

News

Coronavirus Europe Health Italy

ROME (Reuters) - Elderly mobsters recently let out of jail over fears they might catch the new coronavirus in Italy’s overcrowded prisons may soon be put back behind bars, Justice Minister Alfonso Bonafede said on Wednesday following an outcry. Some 376 mafiosi and drug dealers have been allowed to…

April 23, 2020

Italian prisons: facing the crisis

Interview

Coronavirus Crises Europe Justice Health Violence Italy

Mutinies after the suspension of family visits had a heavy toll on prisoners: 12 prisoners died in March. Prison Insider interviewed Antigone association about the management of the crisis by the authorities.

March 17, 2020

Italy : Antigone calls for solution

Report

Coronavirus Europe Health Italy

The last weeks have been devastating for prisoners in Italy. The overcrowded Italian prison system found itself unprepared for the sanitary situation caused by the Coronavirus outbreak. Antigone is an Italian human rights NGO focusing on the penal and penitentiary systems. They monitored the situat…

March 11, 2020

Italy: revuelta en las cárceles italianas

News

Coronavirus Europe Health Protest Violence Italy

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: French, Spanish

March 11, 2020

Italy: seven dead in Modena prison riot, 20 break out of Foggia

News

Coronavirus Europe Health Protest Violence Italy

(ANSA) - Rome, March 9 - Seven people died as violent protests broke out Monday in 22 Italian prisons against coronavirus restrictions with many inmates asking for an amnesty due to the virus emergency.

January 27, 2020

Italy: l'Etat critiqué pour ses conditions de détention dans un rapport du Conseil de l'Europe

News

Europe Justice Material conditions Italy

This article is not available in English. This article is available in the following versions: French

October 8, 2019

Italy: Europe court says Italy's hard prison regime breaches human rights

News

Europe Italy

ROME (Reuters) - A European court ruled on Tuesday that Italy’s tough prison regimes for mobsters and convicted terrorists who refused to cooperate with the justice system violated human rights and needed to be changed.

December 26, 2018

Italy: un projet pilote pour prévenir la radicalisation des femmes en prison

News

Women Europe Religion Italy

This article is not available in English. If you wish, you can consult the French version.

November 7, 2018

Italy: imagine a colourful prison...

Testimonial

Europe Italy

Marco has been imprisoned for 16 years. He tells Prison Insider about a typical day as an inmate in Rebibbia prison, close to Rome.

October 23, 2018

Italy : occupying time, occupying one’s mind

Testimonial

Europe Italy

Frederico is serving a ten-year sentence in Italy. He recounts for Prison Insider, what his days are like in Rome’s Rebibbia prison.