Italy plans to add 15,000 prison beds and transfer drug-addicted prisoners to treatment
The Italian government has promised to increase the capacity of prisons by 15,000 places, as well as simplify the transfer of prisoners with drug addiction to specialized treatment facilities to reduce the problem of overcrowding in the penitentiary system. About this informs Reuters.
The issue of conditions in Italian prisons has attracted more public attention after a record number of inmate suicides last year, as well as complaints of unbearable heat in prisons that are not equipped with air conditioning systems.
According to the Ministry of Justice, as of July 15, almost 63,000 people were in prisons, while the official capacity of the institutions is 47,289. Thus, the occupancy rate exceeds 133%, which is one of the worst indicators in Europe. According to World Prison Brief, the situation is worse only in Cyprus and France. Last year, the Italian parliament passed a law to improve detention conditions, but it had little impact.
“We believe that a just state should bring the capacity of prisons into line with the number of persons who must serve their sentences.” Prime Minister Georgia Maloney said.
The Cabinet of Ministers presented a project worth 758 million euros, which provides for the expansion of the prison infrastructure by almost 10,000 places by 2027. Separately, another initiative to create an additional 5,000 places over five years has been proposed, but without a defined source of funding.
In addition, the government approved a draft law, which still needs to be voted on in parliament, which will allow a significant number of prisoners with alcohol or drug addiction to serve their sentences in rehabilitation centers instead of prisons.
“These are people who need treatment, not criminals who need punishment.” Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio emphasized, adding that people with addictions make up about a third of the entire prison population.
Nordio also mentioned a recent decision that allows about 10,000 inmates nearing the end of their sentences to apply for house arrest or parole. For this purpose, his ministry created a special working group, which should speed up consideration of relevant cases.
