“Prisons adrift in Campania”, unions protest in Naples

“The penitentiary management of the Prap and Dap has led the prison system in Campania adrift”: this is the accusation launched by the sindacati of the penitentiary police Sinappe, Uil Pa PP, Uspp, Fns-Cisl and Cnpp during a demonstration held this morning in front of the Poggioreale prison, in Naples.

The choice of prison of Poggioreale, named after Giuseppe Salvia, was not a coincidence. This facility, known for being the most crowded penitentiary in Italy, symbolically represents the serious crisis of the Campania prison system. Giuseppe Salvia, deputy director of the prison, was killed at 38 on the orders of Raffaele Cutolo in revenge, and his name has become synonymous with the difficulties and dangers that afflict the penitentiary institutions of the region.

The regional secretaries of the trade unions, speaking to journalists, highlighted the evacuation of the women's prison in Pozzuoli as an emblematic example of the critical situation. The decision to evacuate the structure, made necessary by a seismic swarm that caused damage and apprehension, was defined by the trade unionists as “the straw that broke the camel’s back.” This episode, according to them, demonstrates the degradation of the prisons in Campania and the inability to manage emergencies while combining safety and protection of inmates and staff.

During the protest, characterized by flags, megaphones and slogans, a union delegation was received by the Campania prison superintendent, Lucia Castellano. The unions hope that this meeting can be the first step towards concrete solutions to resolve the problems that afflict the prison system of the region.