Naples: A psychiatric inmate attempts to escape from Poggioreale prison.

NNaples – Tense moments erupted yesterday morning in Naples' Poggioreale prison, where a 30-year-old psychiatric inmate, originally from Puglia and with a history of numerous critical episodes, attempted to escape from the prison.

The incident occurred during walking hours, when the man managed to climb over the internal perimeter wall and reach the prison's fence. His escape was interrupted, however, by the timely intervention of the Penitentiary Police, who apprehended the inmate before he could complete his escape.

This swift action prevented more serious consequences, but it also highlights the fragility of the prison system. Luigi Castaldo, national vice president of the CON.SI.PE. union, denounced the situation, pointing to the chronic staff shortage, exacerbated this summer by the vacation plan.

 Safety increasingly at risk in Poggioreale

“With 2100 inmates and 200 fewer officers than expected, security is at risk,” Castaldo declared. “Staff are forced to cover multiple positions, with repercussions on the well-being of the officers and the management of the institution.”

The union urgently calls for a reorganisation of work to ensure greater efficiency and protect the safety of detainees and operators, underlining the need for structural interventions to address a crisis that threatens the entire prison system.

CON.SI.PE. President Mimmo Nicotra also spoke on the matter: Prisoners with psychiatric problems represent a destabilizing factor for order and security within prisons. As CON.SI.PE., we have long been calling for the strengthening of REMS (Residences for the Execution of Security Measures) so that these individuals can be treated in adequate facilities, removing them from an environment that is neither suitable nor safe for them nor for prison staff.

Gustavo Gentile

An expert in diplomatic and international law, he has worked in the publishing and communications industries for over 30 years. He has served as a representative of local publishers in FIEG, as Director of Canale 10, and as General Manager of Centro Stampa srl. He has a keen understanding of the Caserta area.