Umbria prison crisis: shortage of magistrates causes delays

Parliamentarians Walter Verini and Anna Ascani have raised alarms regarding the critical state of prisons in the Umbria region. Following a report by regional guarantor Andrea Pensi, officials highlighted severe operational issues within the Spoleto Surveillance Office, including significant delays in processing legal requests.

A primary concern is a critical shortage of surveillance magistrates. Currently, a single magistrate is responsible for a prison population of approximately 1,200 detainees across Spoleto, Terni, and Orvieto. Despite previous assurances from the Ministry of Justice that a new magistrate would be assigned by September, the vacancy remains unfilled as of October 1.

In addition to judicial shortages, the regional prison system is facing challenges related to overcrowding and a lack of prison police and other essential professional staff.