Napoli - Another tragic episode in Italian prisons. A 53-year-old inmate, originally from the province of Caserta, took his own life yesterday evening inside the Secondigliano prison, in Naples
The news was made known by Campania guarantor for the rights of prisoners, Samuele Ciambriello, which raises a new, dramatic alarm about the conditions of the penitentiary system.
With this new tragedy, they rise to 27 suicides recorded in 2025 among people deprived of liberty in Italy, compared to 457 attempts foiled. In Campania it is about the third case since the beginning of the year, after the two suicides that have already occurred in the Poggioreale prison.
“Every three days a person dies in prison,” Ciambriello denounces, underlining how there is no single cause underlying these extreme actions: “We are not talking about a linear cause-effect logic, but of a complex system. Pietro’s action — the name of the prisoner — is probably the result of multiple causes”.
The guarantor highlights the need for a structural and non-emergency approach, aiming at a real care of the prisoners: “We need listening professionals: social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists. Temporary solutions are not enough”.
According to Ciambriello, it is also urgent a reflection on prison overcrowding, which makes it difficult to guarantee dignity and attention to individuals: "We need to narrow the number of prisoners to better care for them. It is essential to recognize the dignity of the person, regardless of the crime committed."
A strong appeal, his, which calls into question institutions and public opinion, so that the issue of prison is not relegated to the margins of the debate, but addressed as a question of civilization and justice.
Article published on 4 April 2025 - 12:35
It's sad to read this news, the situation of prisons in Italy is really worrying and it seems that no one is doing anything to change things. We really need to worry about how we treat prisoners.