In a bid to combat overcrowding in prisons, the Italian government has pledged to increase their capacity by 15,000 places and help transfer prisoners with addiction problems to rehabilitation centers, Reuters reports.
The problematic situation in prisons has recently attracted wider public attention in Italy. A record number of suicides were recorded last year, and prisoners have increasingly complained about the unbearable heat in prisons, which mostly lack proper ventilation or air conditioning.
Justice Ministry data show that on the 15th of July, there were 62,986 prisoners in Italy, but the normal capacity of prisons is much lower, with 47,289 prisoners normally serving sentences. This means that prison occupancy is currently 133%, one of the worst in Europe. Only in France and Cyprus is the situation worse. Last year, the Italian parliament approved a law that provided for improving conditions in prisons, but the situation has not changed.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on the 22nd of July that
in a just country it is necessary to increase prison capacity so that everyone who needs it can serve their sentence.
Her government has presented a 758 million euro plan that envisages creating 10,000 more places in prisons by 2027. A bill has also been adopted, which still needs parliamentary approval, that would allow prisoners with addictions to serve their sentences in rehabilitation centers. Justice Minister Carlo Nordio pointed out that these are people who need treatment, not criminals. Nordio also mentioned an initiative that envisages the early release of around 10,000 prisoners whose crimes are not considered serious and who are nearing the end of their prison sentences.
True, the early release of prisoners will be gradual, especially given the politically sensitive nature of the issue.
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