Overview

• The Corte dei Conti has identified emergency-level overcrowding in prisons across six Italian regions, with some facilities nearing 200% capacity.
• The report criticizes the Justice Ministry, led by Carlo Nordio, for a decade of stalled modernization efforts following the end of commissarial management in 2015.
• Key delays are attributed to contractual failures, changing detention needs, and insufficient funding for project modifications.
• Recommendations include creating new detention spaces, completing overdue maintenance, and improving sanitary and environmental conditions.
• The newly appointed prison commissioner is tasked with enforcing realistic budgets, effective resource planning, and strict adherence to European-standard guidelines.