According to local NGOs, in 56 out of 190 Italian prison facilities the overcrowding rate is above 150%.
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00:00The so-called prison decree approved this week by the Italian parliament has triggered
00:07a heated political debate.
00:10An overall improvement of detention conditions, an increase in the number of prison staff
00:14and a much simplified procedure to access early release are some of the provisions of
00:19the new measure.
00:21Backers of the decree say it's the first time in years that the government has addressed
00:25the issue.
00:26It's a serious problem, the overcrowding and the suicides in prisons, which is being
00:33addressed for the first time after about 15 years of immobility and absolute silence
00:40by the governments of the left.
00:43Two requirements, that of guaranteeing and that of security, which coincide from our
00:49point of view absolutely well with this decree.
00:54But according to the NGO Antigone, which carries out independent on-site monitoring activity
01:00with an overcrowding rate currently standing at 130% and 65 suicides so far this year,
01:08this latest measure won't be enough to solve the problem.
01:23According to the
01:52Council of Europe's Annual Statistics on Prison Populations for 2023, Italy is among
01:58a few countries that suffer from severe overcrowding levels.
02:22It will take a while before some of the provisions become effective.
02:34Meanwhile, in the summer months, imprisonment conditions worsen due to increased temperatures.
02:39Giorgio Arlandi for Euronews in Rome.