4 more jail suicides take year's toll to 43

Opposition calls for amnesties, pardons to ease overcrowding

By: ansa.it

Jun 17 2024
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4 more jail suicides take year

Four more prison suicides in Italy have taken this year's toll to 43 inmates who have taken their own lives, sources said Monday.
    The last four suicides occurred over just two days.
    Some 16 of the 43 were awaiting trial.
    "These are crazy numbers unworthy of a civilised country", said prison unions, while the opposition attacked the government and called for amnesties and pardons to ease chronic overcrowding and help improve conditions in Italy's penitentiaries.
    Prison unions have urged hirings to help with chronic under-staffing, and specialised personnel to address prisoners' mental health issues.
    The Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers on Friday expressed concern about the high number of suicides in Italian prisons and the situations of people suffering from mental disorders who are awaiting transfer from prisons to alternative facilities.
    In a statement on implementation of past sentences passed by the European Court of Human Rights, it "noted with great concern that the measures adopted so far by the authorities have not stemmed the worrying negative trend of suicides in prison observed since 2016 which persisted in 2023 and into the beginning of 2024".
    It urged the Italian authorities "to rapidly adopt further remedial action and secure appropriate additional financial resources to enhance domestic capacity to prevent suicides in prison and to keep the Committee informed of the measures adopted and the progress achieved".