The Council of Europe’s Committee for the prevention of torture (CPT) takes note of the prison plan (piano carceri) adopted by the authorities aimed at tackling the problem of prison overcrowding and calls for the acceleration of its implementation. It also recommends addressing disparities in healthcare provision for prisoners in its newly published report on its latest visit to Italy.
The purpose of the CPT September 2025 ad hoc visit to Italy was to examine the treatment and conditions of detention of individuals held in several prisons. It was also an opportunity to assess the measures being taken by the Italian authorities to tackle the chronic challenges facing the prison system, notably prison overcrowding, staff numbers and training, the high number of deaths in prison, and the quality of healthcare provided to prisoners.
Overwhelming majority of prisoners treated correctly
The overwhelming majority of prisoners met by the CPT said that they had been treated correctly by prison staff. However, the report notes that inter-prisoner violence and intimidation persist within the Italian prison system. It identifies issues such as the lack of call bells in most cells and the absence of custodial officers present in the accommodation sections as contributing factors to inter-prisoner violence. The authorities should put in place a comprehensive strategy for preventing inter-prisoner violence and intimidation through the promotion of a real dynamic security approach by prison staff.
At the time of the visit, nearly one quarter of prisoners were being accommodated in cells affording them between 3 and 4 sq. m of living space each. The report calls upon the authorities to ensure that the CPT minimum standard of 4 sq. m of living space per person in multiple-occupancy cells (excluding the sanitary annexe) is met.
Implementation of prison plan needs to be accelerated
In parallel, the CPT emphasises the importance of promoting alternative sanctions to reduce the prison population, while also recognising the need to invest in upgrading the prison infrastructure and its capacity. The CPT acknowledges the efforts invested to improve the prison system through a specific plan and the appointment of a Special Commissioner on the prison estate. However, in the CPT’s view, the plan´s implementation needs to be accelerated, given the chronic challenges facing the prison system.
The material conditions of detention varied in the establishments visited and even within each prison. Generally, the CPT found the more precarious conditions – poor hygiene, state of repair and maintenance – in the so-called “Article 32 sections”, where prisoners separated from the rest of the population are accommodated.
Reform of solitary regime needed
The situation at Florence Sollicciano Prison was marked by serious structural deficiencies that render the prison unsuitable for accommodating prisoners, and ongoing maintenance challenges resulting from constant water ingress, with high levels of humidity and dampness, mould on walls, flaking ceilings and detaching plaster. The CPT considers that this prison is not fit for purpose.
The report acknowledges the efforts being made by the Italian authorities to promote additional work opportunities for prisoners (including by offering fiscal advantages through the so-called Legge Smuraglia). Nevertheless, the range of activities offered to prisoners, notably those placed in the “Article 32 sections”, in light of their diverse and vulnerable profile, needs to be further developed.
In addition, the CPT reiterates the need to reform the stringent, restrictive measures applied to prisoners subject to various forms of solitary confinement such as the regime of sorveglianza particolare and the court-imposed solitary confinement for lifers, or isolamento diurno.
The visit findings also reveal that there is still no functioning dynamic security approach by custodial staff as set out in the European Prison Rules. The CPT considers that, throughout the prison system, there is a need for a more operational approach to preventing incidents and maintaining order, based on proactive communication, trust-building and daily engagement with prisoners as a means to reduce tension and improve safety.
Healthcare provided to prisoners examined
As regards the quality of healthcare provided to prisoners by the competent regional healthcare authorities, the report identifies significant territorial disparities. In particular, in the prisons visited in the regions of Campania and Puglia, the committee noted inadequate staffing levels and facilities, delays in access to psychiatric care and in the review of fitness for detention of vulnerable individuals. In contrast, at Florence Sollicciano and Genoa Marassi prisons, the CPT noted generally excellent healthcare provision in terms of facilities, staffing levels and governance.
The report also assesses the measures in place to prevent suicides in prisons and notes the presence of robust multi-disciplinary anti-suicide protocols on the screening of prisoners. However, the CPT finds that the effectiveness of such anti-suicide protocols could be undermined by a combination of factors such as, among others, poor healthcare staffing.
Gender-based approach to female prisoners should be incorporated
Regarding women in prison, the CPT reiterates the need for the authorities to incorporate a specific gender-based approach towards female prisoners and for women’s sections within large male establishments to have a distinct prison management to ensure establishments meet the specific needs of women.
In their response, the Italian authorities set out a detailed account of the measures taken to address the CPT recommendations. In particular, they provide information on the prison plan implementation and the Special Commissioner on the prison estate´s work to tackle prison overcrowding. The response also includes information on inspections and monitoring carried out by the prison service (DAP) in relation to incidents of inter-prisoner violence, and on the prompt and thorough analysis of critical events through the situation room at the DAP’s headquarters to establish lessons learned and targeted inspections.
The authorities also provide information on the changes introduced to improve material conditions at the prisons visited. Particular focus is placed on plans to rectify the challenging structural situation at Florence Sollicciano Prison. The response also refers to the recruitment of additional custodial and treatment prison staff and their training, with an emphasis on the introduction of a dynamic security approach. The authorities report the establishment of a technical monitoring group within the Ministry of Health to address the variations noted by the CPT in the provision of healthcare to prisoners.
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The European Committee for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CPT) visits places of detention in the states parties to the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture to assess how persons deprived of their liberty are treated with a view to strengthening, if necessary, the protection of such persons from torture and from inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. These places include prisons, detention centres for children, police stations, immigration detention centres, psychiatric hospitals, and social care homes. After each visit, the CPT transmits a report containing its findings and recommendations to the government concerned.
Read the report on Italy in full
