< Back to all clusters
[CRIME] · Italy · 100 sources

Italian prison system faces critical overcrowding and staff shortages

Italian prisons are under severe strain, with the Basilicata region reporting the most acute cases. In Potenza, 180 detainees are held in a facility designed for 105 places, a 171% occupancy rate, while Matera operates at 137% capacity. Only the Melfi institute remains within its rated limits. Nationwide, the Antigone report shows 64,436 inmates occupying 51,265 regulated places, an average overcrowding of 125.7%.

Staffing shortfalls exacerbate the problem: Potenza runs with 111 officers against a target of 124, and Matera with 120 of 146. The penal chamber in Trento highlighted the crisis after a 21‑year‑old detainee died by suicide on 26 May. The chamber cites national figures of 64,412 detainees in 51,265 spots, with some prisons exceeding 200% capacity, and records 91 suicides in 2024, 80 in 2025, and 25 in early 2026. In Trento alone, 18 self‑harm incidents and seven suicide attempts were logged in 2025. Both reports call for urgent reforms, increased staffing, and improved mental‑health support for inmates.

Sources

2 months ago
2 months ago
2 months ago
2 months ago