Lorenzo Macchi
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Italy
Prisons in Italy - statistics and facts
Italy's prison population was 57,749 as of July 2023. Nonetheless, the operational capacity of Italian prisons was about 51,285 inmates. Prison overcrowding is a serious concern in the country, with some of the facilities recording an overcrowding rate of more than 180 percent. For instance, a prison located in the Southern town of Taranto, in the region of Apulia, was occupied at 196.4 percent of its capacity in the most recent data, representing the most overcrowded penal institute in Italy. Moreover, the number of inmates constantly increased from 2020 to 2023.
Demographics of prisoners
The most common crimes committed by inmates of both genders in Italy are drug crimes, robbery, and theft. 2022 demographic data on the prison population in Italy show that prisoners aged between 50 and 59 years make up the largest group of detainees, with over 10,500 individuals. In regards to educational level, the largest group of prisoners hold a lower secondary school degree, namely a middle school certification. On the other hand, inmates with a professional school degree or a university degree represent the smallest incarcerated population. Although women are a small fraction of all prisoners, there are a considerable number of mothers living in prisons with their children. In November 2023, there were 22 mothers with 23 children in prisons in Italy.Suicide and the status of prisoners
In addition to overcrowding, several problems affect Italian penal institutes. The number of suicides among prisoners has brought attention to the mental health status of detainees. Between 2000 and 2022, the number of prisoners who who took their life peaked in 2022 at 84. Despite a slight decrease in 2019, the number of suicides has increased almost constantly in the following years. The number of attempted suicides has also grown over the past few years. A further problem of the Italian prison system is the tough conditions for Mafia prisoners. In 2019, the European court of human rights (ECHR) ruled that the Italian prison system for Mafia inmates must be reviewed, as the conditions under which they are serving their sentence violates their human rights.
