The troubling issue of prison suicides in Italy has gained further attention as Justice Minister Carlo Nordio visited a prison in Turin on August 12, where two women tragically lost their lives within hours of each other, ABC News reported.
The Lorusso and Cutugno prison in Turin became the focal point of attention following the deaths of an Italian woman who took her own life in her cell and a Nigerian woman who passed away in the facility's mental health ward after days of refusing food and drink. The timing of these deaths, along with a recent surge in summertime suicides, has sparked concern among prisoner advocates and organizations striving for improved prison conditions.
Justice Minister Nordio's visit to the prison was described as an act of solidarity rather than an inspection or investigation. He expressed his concern over the circumstances surrounding the deaths and emphasized the importance of finding alternative forms of detention to alleviate the problem of overcrowding. He also proposed the conversion of unused military barracks into prison facilities as a practical solution to mitigate the overcrowding crisis.
Reports indicate that even before this incident, the Antigone Association had recorded 42 prison suicides in Italy this year, following a distressing count of 85 in the previous year. The organization underscored that summertime exacerbates tensions within prisons due to the combination of stifling heat in outdated facilities and reduced staffing, leading to diminished access to essential services for inmates.
Susanna Marietti, Antigone’s national coordinator, highlighted the isolation and despair that often prevails among inmates during the summer months, stating that "in summertime, life comes to a stop." Nordio acknowledged the dire overcrowding issue, acknowledging that constructing new prison facilities was not feasible due to financial and bureaucratic constraints.
Nordio proposed focusing on developing alternatives to detention to address the mathematical imbalance between the number of inmates and Italy's prison capacity. Antigone estimates that the country's prison system operates at an average of 121% of its capacity, with approximately 10,000 more inmates than available beds.
While Nordio's visit was aimed at addressing the pressing concerns, the opposition Democratic Party expressed dissatisfaction, criticizing the current government's lack of prioritization for improving prison conditions and addressing mental health challenges among inmates. Lawmaker Debora Serracchiani lamented Nordio's dismissal of proposed amendments and innovative approaches in favor of discussing barracks.
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