Brussels – Prisons: In Italy, there are glimmers of progress in the overall situation of prisoners, but much remains to be improved. The report by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) on the country’s prisons paints a picture with few bright spots and many shadows. The government is commended for the measures implemented under the ‘Prison Plan’ and for appointing a Special Commissioner for Prison Infrastructure. However, in the Committee’s view, “ the plan’s implementation needs to be accelerated, given the chronic challenges facing the prison system.”
Similarly, the report drawn up by the Council of Europe body acknowledges the efforts made by the Italian authorities to promote further employment opportunities for prisoners in the institutions visited, including by granting tax relief under the Smuraglia Law. Here, too, however, reality does not match intentions. It is the Committee’s view that “the range of activities offered to prisoners must be further expanded.” According to the authors of the document, “all prisoners should be guaranteed a structured daily programme, comprising customised d activities supervised by a multidisciplinary team”.
Cramped cells, violence among prisoners, solitary confinement: the issues to be resolved
In Italy, “the vast majority” of prisoners report being treated fairly by prison staff. Prison officers are therefore not guilty of abuse of power. Still, the situation changes inside the cells: the report notes that “inter-prisoner violence and intimidation persist within the Italian prison system.” Problems such as the lack of call bells in most cells and the absence of prison officers in the detention wings are identified as factors contributing to violence among prisoners.
Hence, the call on the government for “a comprehensive strategy for preventing inter-prisoner violence and intimidation,” promoting an approach based on genuine “dynamic security” by prison staff.
The Council of Europe’s Committee against Torture therefore reiterates “the need to reform the stringent, restrictive measures applied to prisoners subject to various forms of solitary confinement,” such as the “special surveillance” (sorveglianza particolare) regime and the court-imposed solitary confinement for lifers, or isolamento diurno. Italy should limit its use.
Another structural problem is space. At the time of the visits carried out in Italy, “almost a quarter of prisoners” were housed in cells offering each of them a living space of just 3-4 square metres. The report calls on the Italian authorities to ensure compliance with the Council of Europe’s minimum standard, which provides for 4 square metres of living space per person in shared cells (excluding the toilet cubicle).
The call for measures to ‘empty the prisons’
“Prison overcrowding is another characteristic of the Italian prison system”, notes the new Council of Europe report. For this reason too, given that it is a phenomenon that has never been solved or overcome, the report stresses “the importance of promoting alternative sanctions to reduce the prison population, while also recognising the need to invest in upgrading the prison infrastructure and its capacity.” In short: fewer arrests and prison sentences, alongside improvements to prisons.
