ROME – Four suicides in three days, 18 since the beginning of the year: dramatic numbers that mark a sad record in Italian prisons, the latest case concerns a 69-year-old Senegalese prisoner, who took his own life in the prison of Verona.
Added to these data are the recent deaths from causes yet to be ascertained of a 35 year old Moroccan prisoner in Bologna and a man of African origin, 50 years old, in the Poggioreale prison in Naples. The alarm was raised by Aldo Di Giacomo, general secretary of the SPP (Penitentiary Police Union), who denounces a situation that is now out of control.
“Prisoners who take their own lives are increasingly younger, and there is a 40% increase among those with mental health problems, subjects who should not have been in prison”. The number of foreign prisoners involved in suicides is also growing, especially those from North Africa.
Di Giacomo calls for immediate interventions, including a psychological support plan with the stable presence of psychologists, psychiatrists, cultural mediators and interpreters: “The lack of communication has a huge impact”. The emergency also concerns the safety of personnel: “We are averaging 30 assaults a week, the highest figure ever”, adds Di Giacomo, who also reports the discovery of approximately twenty cell phones a week in the cells.
“The State is incapable of guaranteeing the lives of the people in its custody and of protecting the staff”, accuses the trade unionist, relaunching the urgency of investing in alternative measures to detention, to promote social reintegration and reduce overcrowding: “These are not do-gooder concessions, but a constitutional duty”. However, he concludes, they are needed adequate funding and greater collaboration between local authorities and prison administration to deal with the emergency.
In short
ROME – Four suicides in three days, 18 since the beginning of the year: these dramatic numbers mark a sad record in Italian prisons. The latest case involves a 69-year-old Senegalese inmate who…
- Added to these data are the recent deaths from unknown causes of a 35-year-old Moroccan prisoner in…
- The alarm was raised by Aldo Di Giacomo, general secretary of the SPP (Penitentiary Police Union), who denounced a situation…
- “Prisoners who take their own lives are increasingly younger, and there is a 40% increase among those who…
Key questions
What is the main point of the news?
ROME – Four suicides in three days, 18 since the beginning of the year: these dramatic numbers mark a sad record in Italian prisons. The latest case involves a Senegalese inmate…
Why is this news relevant?
Added to these data are the recent deaths from unknown causes of a 35-year-old Moroccan prisoner in…
Which detail helps us understand the case better?
The alarm was raised by Aldo Di Giacomo, general secretary of the SPP (Penitentiary Police Union), who denounced a situation now out of control.
The data on suicides in prisons is truly alarming and makes us think. We cannot ignore the fact that prisoners, especially foreign ones, are increasingly younger and in difficulty. An intervention is needed to improve the situation.