Rome – A crackdown has been decided for prisoners in the High Security regime. The Department of Penitentiary Administration (Dap) has ordered, with a circular dated February 27, the adoption of the “closed custody” regime to limit contact between prisoners considered to be particularly dangerous to society, such as mafiosi and terrorists, and the rest of the population prison. Declared objective: to prevent the aggregation and diffusion of criminal power behind bars.
The provision arises from the need – the Dap explains – to prevent detained bosses from exercising a role of supremacy and influence within penitentiary institutions, creating new networks of power and conditioning.
But the measure is not free from criticism. The prison police unions, first and foremost Osapp, warn of a concrete risk of riots, as already emerged from environmental interceptions in the Sulmona prison, where two inmates linked to the Camorra are said to have threatened violent actions in response to the harsher prison regime.
The Undersecretary of Justice, Andrea Delmastro (FdI), however, does not back down: "The threats coming from the prison of Sulmona demonstrate that we are hitting the mark. The State does not negotiate with those who have made illegality their life mission. 41 bis and life imprisonment are untouchable".
According to the Dap circular, cells in the High Security wards must remain closed throughout the day, except for strictly organized moments dedicated to common activities or treatment. The intent is to keep inmates "under the direct control of staff" by limiting social moments as much as possible.
However, as Leo Beneduci, general secretary of Osapp, reports, "in many prisons the High Security cells have been open for some time, in defiance of the provisions. In Prato, Avellino, Turin... only in Terni have they been closed for two days, and the prisoners have already started a trolley strike, refusing the meals provided by the administration".
The trade unionist also denounces the lack of continuity in the application of the measures, often entrusted to special departments that remain for only a few days, then leaving the management to ordinary staff "not always adequately trained".
Beneduci finally raises a paradox: "The cells are closed, but the penitentiary system itself allows external contacts, making available - in fact - cell phones. It is useless to close the doors if then you leave windows open to external crime".
The debate therefore remains heated, between security needs, detention conditions and protection of prison staff. In the background, the increasingly palpable tension inside Italian prisons.
Article published on 4 April 2025 - 19:08
