Ariano Irpino prisoner injures officers with boiling oil

Yet another attack on the Penitentiary Police in the prison of Ariano Irpino. A violent inmate threatened and injured officers with boiling oil.

Yesterday, a 40-year-old prisoner, already known for his aggressiveness and his behavior defying prison rules, created yet another episode of tension inside the Ariano Irpino prison.

Barricading himself in his room and using boiling oil, he threatened and then attacked the Penitentiary Police personnel who intervened to quell the riot.

Seven officers were injured, two of whom had to be hospitalized. Yet another act of violence that highlights, once again, the serious shortcomings of the Italian prison system and the need to better protect the safety of prison workers.

The CON.SI.PE union denounces the critical conditions of the prison.

The regional secretary of CON.SI.PE Campania, Thomas De Lia, stigmatizes the incident and highlights the recurrence of attacks by psychiatric inmates or those with mental health problems. De Lia urges the establishment of suitable departments and adequate health treatments for these individuals, in order to prevent further episodes of violence and guarantee safety within the prison.

The urgency of a structural intervention and more resources.

The national secretary of CON.SI.PE, Louis Castaldo, reiterates the need for a decisive intervention by the Government. It calls for an increase in the number of psychiatrists and psychologists in prisons, together with the creation of facilities dedicated to prisoners with mental health problems.

According to Castaldo, it is essential to isolate these individuals from other inmates to prevent further attacks and ensure order within the penitentiaries.

Overcrowding and staff shortages aggravate the situation.

De Lia and Castaldo emphasize the serious lack of staff that afflicts the prison of Ariano Irpino, as in many other penitentiaries in Campania. The lack of staff forces officers to cover multiple shifts, compromising their safety and the effectiveness of their service.

A call for change.

The episode in Ariano Irpino is just the latest in a long series of attacks on prison staff. A change of pace is needed by the institutions, with concrete interventions that guarantee the safety of agents, the protection of inmates and respect for the rules within prisons.