Santa Maria Capua Vetere – More violence behind bars. Yesterday evening, in the prison of Santa Maria Capua Vetere, a Penitentiary Police officer was the victim of a ferocious attack in the High Security Department “Tamigi”.
Three inmates hit him in the face with an oxygen tank, then continued to punch him with unprecedented violence.
Vincenzo Berrini, secretary of SAPPE (Autonomous Union of Penitentiary Police), reported the incident: “It is unacceptable that an officer should fear for his life while carrying out his duty. Going to work and returning home reduced to dramatic conditions is absurd.
The situation is deteriorating and an immediate response is needed. Violent inmates must be transferred out of the region to restore order and send a strong signal.”
Donato Capece, general secretary of SAPPE, points the finger at a system that is now collapsing: “We are facing a permanent tension in Italian prisons. Overcrowding, structural deficiencies and insufficient resources fuel a dangerous spiral.
The Penitentiary Police pays the highest price, in terms of stress and danger. It is time for the Ministry of Justice and the DAP to intervene with concrete measures.”
Capece also relaunches a series of operational requests: “We need bodycams, Tasers, updated protocols and, above all, legal guarantees for staff.
Critical episodes are the order of the day: since the beginning of the year, there have been hundreds of attacks on officers. It is a war bulletin. The violent fringe of prisoners feels unpunished and must be stopped with exemplary sentences. We are seriously considering reactivating abandoned prisons such as Asinara and Pianosa to isolate the most dangerous individuals.”
A new alarm, therefore, that draws attention to a chronic emergency. Violence behind bars is no longer an exception: it is the symptom of a penitentiary system that risks collapse.
Article published on 6 April 2025 - 14:14
The situation in Italian prisons is truly worrying, especially with the aggression towards officers. The problems of overcrowding and lack of resources seem to only increase. A concrete solution is urgently needed to restore security.