The Minister of Justice, through a note from the Department of Penitentiary Administration, responded to the concerns of the Bar Association of Bologna regarding the tragedy of suicides, in particular that of a woman detained in the city’s ‘La Dozza’ prison which occurred in the month of March. In the note, the Ministry underlined the attention given to the problem and the actions undertaken to address the humanitarian emergency in Italian penitentiaries. However, the Bologna Bar Association reiterated that current measures may not be sufficient to resolve the problem in a complete and lasting way.
As already reported by Il Dubbio, last March, the Council of the Bar Association of Bologna forcefully denounced the unacceptable conditions faced by the inmates of the ‘La Dozza’ prison in Bologna, a structure originally designed for half of the current inmates. These are vulnerable individuals, often afflicted by psychiatric pathologies and drug addictions, left without any support or hope of a better life, neither inside nor outside prison. A complaint that the Bolognese COA issued with a statement addressed to all authorities, from the supervisory judiciary to the Ministry of Justice, highlighting the urgent need for concrete intervention to address the humanitarian crisis in prisons.
The Ministry of Justice responded to the concerns raised by the Council of the Bar Association of Bologna. The Dap note provides a detailed analysis on the phenomenon of suicide in prison and on the strategies implemented by the Administration to prevent it. Suicide is a complex problem influenced by multiple factors, as highlighted by the Dap. To address this challenge, the Department has implemented a series of measures, including a multidisciplinary approach involving staff from different departments, staff training on suicide prevention, protocols for the management of at-risk cases, and collaboration with external bodies such as the health authorities and the Bar Council. Additionally, funding for psychological services was increased, demonstrating Dap’s commitment to continually improving its suicide prevention efforts. The Dap note underlines that further initiatives are underway, such as the collaboration with the National Council of the Order of Psychologists to develop a new risk assessment tool and with the Ministry of Health to implement shared suicide prevention solutions. The Dap has contacted several institutions, including the National Bar Council and the Inspector General of Prison Chaplains, to involve them in suicide prevention efforts.
Despite the Dap’s commitment, the Bologna Bar Association has expressed deep concern about the exponential increase in suicide cases within penitentiary institutions, calling it a ‘true humanitarian tragedy’. In the letter of thanks to Minister Carlo Nordio, the COA underlined the dramatic situation of overcrowding, with a national average of 130%, well above the threshold that in 2013 led to Italy’s condemnation by the European Court of Human Rights for inhuman and degrading treatments. The Bolognese lawyers have questioned the effectiveness of the measures announced by the Minister, such as the creation of working groups, the hiring of new penitentiary police officers and the greater awareness of prison staff. While appreciating the efforts, they believe that immediate structural interventions are needed to avoid further tragedies.
The letter reminds the Keeper of the Seals of his duty to protect constitutional guarantees and universal values of freedom and human dignity. The need to counteract the populist drift in criminal law, which risks transforming prisons into places of intolerable suffering, is underlined. It urges the minister to take immediate and concrete action to guarantee dignified living conditions for prisoners, starting with an increase in living space within prisons. A change of direction is called for which places the protection of human rights and the re-education of convicted criminals at the centre, as provided for by the Constitution. «And then, Mr. Minister – writes the Coa -, do not really believe that, especially if it is not possible to ensure compliance with the Constitutional precept in the short term, then measures of clemency or forms of sentence deduction as a result of good conduct , can be considered a surrender of the State, as we have recently been able to hear from your own words.” In fact, as the Bolognese lawyers well underline, the liberal legal culture, at the basis of our democratic system, cannot give in to populist pressures that would like to transform punishment into public revenge. The letter from the Bolognese lawyers represents a strong and clear warning to the institutions to urgently intervene to put an end to the tragedy of suicides in prison. Respect for human dignity and fundamental rights cannot be sacrificed on the altar of populism or mere emergency management.
