Overview

• Italian prisons hold 62,445 inmates at an average 133% occupancy, with 58 facilities exceeding 150% and Milan’s San Vittore at 220%.
• Cells in 30 of 95 surveyed institutions offer less than three square meters per inmate, while 12 lack heating and 43 have no hot water.
• Detainee suicides reached a record 91 in 2024 and 44% of prisoners use sedatives or hypnotics, underscoring a deep mental health crisis.
• Juvenile detentions have risen 54% over two years to 611 inmates, half of whom are unaccompanied foreign minors, and nine out of 17 youth facilities are overcrowded.
• Antigone urges a general amnesty for inmates with under two years remaining and investments in staff, mental health services, and living conditions.