Rome, 20 October (LaPresse) – "A 29-year-old African prisoner suffering from mental illness hanged himself during the night in his cell at Ariano Irpino prison. The efforts of the prison police and medical staff were in vain. This brings the tragic death toll of inmates who have committed suicide since the beginning of the year to 67 (plus one interned in a REMS), to which must be added three operators. If, out of modesty towards other dramatic theatres, we do not speak of a war bulletin, it is certainly something very close to it, amid the substantial indifference of the majority political class." This news comes from Gennarino De Fazio, Secretary General of the UILPA Prison Police. 'In Ariano Irpino, 286 prisoners are crammed into 216 places (+32%), while the prison police has only 141 officers when at least 231 are needed (-39%). This is an unsustainable management and operational situation, as in the rest of Italy, where there are 63,233 inmates and only 46,489 places (+36%), with a shortage of over 20,000 prison police officers," adds the secretary of UILPA PP, 'measures are needed immediately to reduce prison overcrowding, to increase the number of prison police officers, to guarantee healthcare, to renovate buildings, to implement equipment and to initiate comprehensive reforms. Moreover, even some of the measures contained in the draft budget law appear to have a negative impact, being partial and propagandistic. An immediate change is needed."
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