Inmate hangs himself in Imperia prison, 69th suicide since the beginning of the year

An inmate in the prison A prisoner from Imperia hanged himself this morning in his cell. His fellow inmates found him returning from exercise. Immediate intervention by the prison police was unsuccessful; the man died instantly.

According to initial reports, the man—who had psychiatric conditions—waited for his classmates to go out for exercise and then hanged himself using sheets attached to the bars.

This is the 69th suicide in prison, following the one in Benevento two days ago. "While Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, with both announcements and backtracking, declares that there are no immediate solutions, precisely those that would be asked of a government worthy of the name, people continue to perish and suffer in prison and in jail," writes Gennarino De Fazio, general secretary of the UilPa Penitentiary Police, in a statement.

The most acute suffering, however, is inflicted not only on the inmates but also on the prison police. Their members, victims of assault and violence, subjected to grueling shifts, and deprived even of fundamental constitutional rights, suffer hellish punishments for the sole crime of serving the state, abandoned by politics.

Frankly, we don't need a minister and a government that limit themselves to analyzing the problems—which is, moreover, very superficial and often flawed—but that fail to identify and implement effective measures capable of addressing the profound prison crisis within the timeframe required, at the very least, by the number and frequency of deaths.

We have reached 15 more inmates than available places, while the staffing gaps in the Penitentiary Police, over 18 short, are becoming increasingly acute. Just as the shortfalls in healthcare, organizational deficiencies, and the dilapidated state of the facilities are becoming increasingly serious, concludes the UilPa secretary.

We ask the Minister of Justice, who we hope hasn't misunderstood this definition, and the Government at the very least for a show of pride that goes beyond mere chatter."