Violent incidents hit Italian prisons in Vercelli and Aversa

On a Wednesday in Vercelli’s regional prison, a Guinean inmate set fire to his cell and then assaulted prison police, breaking a guard’s nasal septum. The prison police union SAPPE condemned the episode, saying it “demonstrates the total failure of measures adopted so far to guarantee the safety of penitentiary institutions and staff.”

A few days later, a fire broke out in the “Filippo Saporito” prison in Aversa, igniting several mattresses. Rapid intervention by prison staff and cooperating inmates prevented injuries and major damage. Campania’s guarantor for people deprived of liberty, Samuele Ciambriello, praised the “promptness of the operational response” while stressing the need for better security, maintenance and prevention in Italian prisons.

Both events have reignited debate over chronic safety problems in Italy’s penitentiary system and prompted calls for increased staffing, equipment and clearer rules to protect inmates and officers alike.