Italy has announced sweeping prison reforms aimed at easing one of Europe’s worst incarceration overcrowding crises, with plans to create up to 15,000 new prison spaces and divert thousands of non-violent, drug-dependent inmates to rehabilitation centers.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni unveiled the initiative late Tuesday, calling it a step toward a more balanced and humane justice system. “A just society must ensure that the number of prison places matches the number of people serving sentences,” she said.
The reforms follow mounting alarm over inhumane conditions inside Italian prisons, highlighted by a record spike in inmate suicides and widespread complaints about unbearable summer heat in poorly ventilated facilities.
As of mid-July, Italy’s prison system housed nearly 63,000 inmates in facilities built for just over 47,000—an overcrowding rate of 133%, the third highest in Europe after Cyprus and France, according to the World Prison Brief.
To tackle the crisis, the government has earmarked €758 million (approx. $890 million) to expand capacity by nearly 10,000 spaces by 2027. An additional 5,000 spots are expected to be added over the next five years, although a separate budget has yet to be confirmed.
Crucially, the reform package also includes a draft bill that would allow certain inmates—particularly those with alcohol and drug addictions—to serve their sentences in specialized rehabilitation centers instead of traditional prisons.
Justice Minister Carlo Nordio emphasized the need to treat addiction as a health issue, not merely a criminal one.
“Nearly a third of our prison population struggles with substance abuse. These individuals require care, not just punishment,” Nordio said.
He also reiterated the government’s plan, announced earlier this month, to consider up to 10,000 low-risk inmates nearing the end of their sentences for house arrest or probation.
A dedicated taskforce has been created to speed up case reviews, though releases are expected to be phased in carefully, given political sensitivities surrounding crime and public safety.
The Meloni administration—known for its tough-on-crime rhetoric—is now navigating a complex balance: maintaining order while responding to calls for more humane treatment of detainees.
While a 2023 law aimed at improving prison conditions has shown limited results, this latest package represents the boldest move in years to not only increase capacity but also shift part of the penal system’s focus toward rehabilitation and social reintegration.
