Italy's prisons face record overcrowding and inhumane conditions
A mid‑year 2026 report by the prison‑rights group Antigone shows Italy’s penitentiary system housing 64,741 detainees in facilities with only 46,343 usable places, resulting in an average occupancy of 139.7%. Five regions exceed 150% capacity, with Puglia at 180.4% and Lombardy at 157.9%. Six prisons are especially crowded: Lucca (256.8%), Milan San Vittore (223.6%), Latina (220.8%), Foggia (219.9%), Lodi (209.3%) and Brescia Canton Monbello (202.7%).
Antigone found that 44% of visited prisons have cells smaller than the minimum 3 m² per inmate, and 6,539 complaints of inhuman or degrading treatment were filed in 2025, a 12% rise over the previous year. The summer heat has turned many facilities into “survival‑level” environments, with limited ventilation, water shortages and rising suicide numbers – at least 38 deaths in the first seven months of 2026.
The prison in Siracusa’s Cavadonna district was highlighted by the prison ombudsman Giovanni Villari, who reported more than 720 inmates in a 600‑place facility, rampant rat infestations, broken elevators and severe staff shortages. Villari called for an extraordinary inspection and urgent funding. Antigone president Patrizio Gonnella criticised the government’s reliance on punitive measures and a plan to add 10,000 places by 2027 that has not materialised, urging alternative measures and real investment in social reintegration.
Entities: Antigone · Antigone (association) · Cavadonna prison (Siracusa) · European Court of Human Rights · Giovanni Villari · Italy · Lucca prison · Milan San Vittore prison · Patrizio Gonnella
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Siracusa’s Cavadonna prison held more than 720 inmates in a facility designed for 600 places. (Garante Giovanni Villari report)
- [● 3 SOURCES] 44% of visited prisons have cells smaller than 3 m² per inmate. (Antigone mid‑year 2026 report)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Six prisons have occupancy over 200%: Lucca (256.8%), Milan San Vittore (223.6%), Latina (220.8%), Foggia (219.9%), Lodi (209.3%) and Brescia Canton Monbello (202.7%). (Antigone mid‑year 2026 report)
- [● 2 SOURCES] 6,539 complaints of inhuman or degrading treatment were recorded in 2025, a 12% increase over 2024. (Antigone mid‑year 2026 report)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Italy had 46,343 usable prison places, giving an occupancy rate of 139.7%. (Antigone mid‑year 2026 report)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Italy had 64,741 detainees on 28 July 2026. (Antigone mid‑year 2026 report)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] At least 38 suicides occurred in Italian prisons during the first seven months of 2026. (Antigone mid‑year 2026 report)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Overcrowding exceeds 150% in Puglia (180.4%), Molise (165.9%), Basilicata (162.5%), Lombardy (157.9%) and Friuli‑Venezia Giulia (152%). (Antigone mid‑year 2026 report)