The case in Poggioreale: This is the fourth suicide in the Neapolitan institute in 2024, the eleventh in the entire region. The total number of suicides in Italian prisons since the beginning of the year has reached 81.
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A 28-year-old inmate from the province of Naples took his own life on Thursday night in the Poggioreale prison. This event represents the fourth suicide in the Neapolitan institution this year and the eleventh in the whole of Campania, while the total in Italian penitentiaries since the beginning of 2024 has reached 81.
The alarm cry of the guarantor of prisoners
“The penitentiary system is on the brink of collapse” declared the guarantor of prisoners in Campania, Samuele Ciambriello. Conditions in prisons are extremely difficult, with overcrowded cells and rising tension. According to Ciambriello, there have been 1842 suicide attempts and 11503 acts of self-harm this year. The average age of inmates who have taken their own lives is 40, with eight of them between the ages of 18 and 25.
The critical situation in prisons
Patrizio Gonnella, president of Antigone, expressed concern about the current situation, stressing that “In prison you can’t breathe.” Italian prisons house over 62.000 inmates for 47.000 available places, a situation that hasn’t occurred since 2013. Gonnella calls for a series of urgent reforms to improve living conditions in prisons and guarantee the possibility of social reintegration for inmates, criticizing current policies that risk further worsening the situation.
Article published on November 23, 2024 - 13:25
It is really sad that there are so many suicides in prisons. It must be difficult for the inmates to endure these conditions. I hope the authorities take these problems seriously and do something to improve the situation.