Detainee numbers are climbing, living conditions deteriorating, while protests, suicides, and reports of inhuman treatment multiply. This alarming snapshot emerges from “The Emergency is Now,” a mid-year report by the Antigone Association, documenting findings from 86 prison inspections across Italy conducted over the past 12 months by the group’s monitoring body.
As of June 30, 2025, Italy’s prison population reached 62,728 – a rise of 1,248 from the previous year. With a regulatory capacity of 51,276 beds and over 4,500 currently unusable, the actual overcrowding rate stands at 134.3%. Sixty-two facilities exceed 150% occupancy, while eight prisons – including Milan’s San Vittore, Foggia, Lodi, and Rome’s Regina Coeli – operate beyond 190% capacity. In 35.3% of visited institutions, cells fail to provide the mandated 3 square meters of walkable space per inmate.
“While the government announces unrealistic plans and decades-old recycled promises, these