Italy prison system faces overcrowding and violence

The Italian prison system is facing a dual crisis of extreme overcrowding and escalating violence. According to a mid-2026 report by Antigone, the system has reached a saturation level of 139.7%, with 64,741 detainees occupying only 46,343 available spots. Overcrowding is most severe in Puglia, which reports a rate of 180.4%, and in specific facilities like Lucca, where capacity is exceeded by over 250%.

Compounding these structural issues is a rise in violence against staff. In Bari, a prison officer was hospitalized after being repeatedly struck in the face by a detainus. The union SIPPE has characterized such incidents as a reflection of systemic problems, demanding stricter enforcement of penitentiary regulations, the transfer of violent inmates to different regions, and guaranteed disciplinary sanctions to ensure workplace safety.