The CPT on the Italian Prison System: Overcrowding, Detention Conditions and Structural Challenges
10th November 2026
On 4 November 2026, the Council of Europe’s European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) published its report on the ad hoc visit to Italy conducted in September 2025, which aimed to examine the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty and the conditions of detention in a number of the country’s prisons. The report is accompanied by the response of the Italian authorities.
The CPT acknowledges the initiatives undertaken by the Italian authorities to tackle prison overcrowding, but calls for their more rapid implementation, highlighting persistent shortcomings in detention space and serious structural deficiencies in prison facilities. The report also draws attention to inter-prisoner violence, the insufficient implementation of a genuine dynamic security approach, disparities in the provision of healthcare, suicide prevention, rehabilitative activities and regimes of solitary confinement. Overall, the report provides an overview of the main shortcomings of the Italian prison system and the challenges that remain in ensuring the protection of prisoners’ rights.
The press release, the full report and the response of the Italian authorities are available on the Council of Europe’s website.