In his year-end speech, President Sergio Mattarella shed light on a neglected reality: the state of Italian prisons. The Autonomous Prison Police Union (SAPPE) has declared this issue a priority for the government and parliament.
Donato Capece, SAPPE’s general secretary, expressed gratitude to the President for emphasizing the urgent need to reform a system that currently fails to ensure both justice and humanity. According to Capece, the current situation not only affects inmates, who often endure overcrowding and poor resources, but also endangers prison police personnel, who face constant threats and violence.
“It’s essential to breathe a different air from the one that led inmates to criminality,” Capece stated.
SAPPE’s proposal
To tackle the issue, SAPPE suggests a three-tier prison system:
- Alternative sentences: for minor offenses with sentences under 3 years, utilizing measures such as probation.
- Less crowded prisons: for sentences over 3 years, reducing the use of pre-trial detention and redistributing inmates more efficiently.
- Maximum security: for the most serious crimes, where incarceration remains the primary solution.
This structure aims to reduce overcrowding and improve living conditions for both inmates and staff.
A necessary change
Capece emphasized how prisons are often used as a fallback for broader social issues the State cannot otherwise address. “We believe it’s time to rethink penal execution, distinguishing cases that genuinely require imprisonment from those that can be handled differently,” he stated.
SAPPE’s mission, encapsulated in the motto “Despondere spem munus nostrum” (guaranteeing hope is our duty), is to make prisons places of rehabilitation and hope. Despite daily challenges, the Prison Police Corps carries out its duty with dedication and humanity.
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