Too many suicides and too overcrowded, Italian prisons increasingly a problem

Brussels – Increasingly crowded, increasingly unsustainable. Italian prisons continue to be a source of concern for the Council of Europe, the international organisation for the promotion of fundamental rights. In its annual report on the prison situation in member states, the report once again highlights the deterioration in Italy, starting with the proportion of the population behind bars. In 2024, it grew by 7.8 per cent, making Italy one of the countries with the highest growth in prisoners, now 118 per 100 available places. Only Slovenia (134), Cyprus (132) and France (124) are worse. 

The Council of Europe also denounces how the country has one of the highest rates of suicide in prison, at the end of 2024, equal to 11 per 10,000 inmates. Considering a total prison population of 60,637 inmates, Italy therefore has 66 suicides inside prisons, the third highest rate after those of France (124) and the United Kingdom (96).

The situation in Italy is such that it must also be addressed due to the prolonged period spent in prison. In the country’s prisons, detention is on average about a year and a half (17 months), not the longest period, but still long enough to induce the Council of Europe to include Italy in the list of states where detention lasts the longest. In addition, 30.3 per cent of inmates have to serve sentences of more than ten years of imprisonment, while another 30 per cent have prison sentences ranging from five to ten years. Therefore, those who enter prison in Italy tend to stay there for a considerable period, which is also why the authorities are called upon to improve the quality of life in prison. 

Finally, Italy stands out for its average age of prisoners. If Georgia, with 44 years, records the highest seniority index, Italy is right behind with 42 years (a figure, the latter, shared with Portugal). The national situation is explained by the high rate of people in prison aged between 50 and 64: it is 24 per cent, the third highest in Europe (after San Marino, 33 per cent, and Slovenia, 25 per cent). Practically every fourth person is at least 50 years old, if not older.