The Caserta Prison Ombudsman takes stock: "Legality and dignity, not just words."

Two months of work, dozens of kilometers traveled behind armored doors, words exchanged behind bars and offices, data collected and problems brought all the way to Rome.

The first assessment by the Provincial Guarantor for the Rights of Persons Deprived of Personal Liberty of the Province of Caserta is anything but formal: it is concrete, urgent, and full of reality.

Within a few weeks, the Office began a close monitoring, with inspections – including surprise ones – in all the main detention facilities in the area: from the Santa Maria Capua Vetere prison to the prison of carinola, from the Juvenile Institute of Airola to the REMS of Calvi Risorta.

Attention is focused on the systemic issues that threaten fundamental rights every day: overcrowding, understaffed prison healthcare, operational risks for staff, and inadequate facilities.

These factors not only undermine the dignity of detainees but also complicate the work of professionals. For this reason, the Guarantor has not hesitated to report the most serious situations: some of these reports are already before the Senate Human Rights Committee.

It's not just about monitoring, but about building: the Guarantor's mandate has already created a network of dialogue with the Prefecture, the Local Health Authority, the Supervisory Judiciary, the Prison Administration, and the nonprofit sector. The goal is clear: to transform every critical issue into a proposal, every complaint into a shared path. “We chose to start with respect, listening and the truth of the facts – explains the Guarantor – because legality cannot exist without human justice. The dignity of those deprived of their freedom is a reflection of the democratic health of our country."