“The situation inside the Busto prison is dramatic, the minister should come and see.” This is the appeal of MP Aboubakar Soumahoro, who last week returned to visit the facility in via per Cassano, where he had already met the trapper Baby Gang (read here).
The member of the mixed group of the Chamber addresses the Minister of the Seals Carlo Nordio directly: «Come and see with your own eyes what is happening».
The request comes on the eve of a series of initiatives dedicated to the situation of Italian prisons and the suicide emergency also planned in Busto and Valle Olona. Tomorrow, Wednesday 26 June, an “oratory marathon” promoted by the Bustocca Criminal Chamber will be held in Piazza San Giovanni. On Friday, in Fagnano, the Valle di Ezechiele will host a meeting on overcrowding and the dignity of prisoners.
«Overcrowding is a problem for prisoners and staff»
Last week, after a new inspection visit to the Busto prison, the Honorable Soumahoro released a video on his social channels in which he said that «an inmate told me this sentence: “I have five children outside, I need being able to hear them every week, which is difficult if not impossible today, because if I hear my cousin I can’t hear them at the same time.”
Soumahoro states that «the situation within this institute, as in many other institutes, is dramatic. There are currently 430 inmates, more than half are migrants or with a migratory background. Such a situation raises the issue of overcrowding. Both for a dignified living condition, in compliance with the Constitution, for prisoners and for administrative and penitentiary staff.”
The deputy therefore asks Minister Nordio «to introduce himself, to come and see with his own eyes what is happening within this and many other institutes».
A month ago, Soumahoro visited the trapper Baby Gang, imprisoned in Busto, who let him know that he had started a hunger strike due to the living conditions of the prisoners.
The next day, the bustocca MEP from the League Isabella Tovaglieri had a letter delivered to Baby Gang with the invitation to use “this opportunity to become a positive model for his generation”.
Criticizing Soumahoro (“The left once again brings solidarity to those on the wrong side”) and pointing out that “the League is on the side of those who enforce the rules and those who live by the laws”.
The initiatives of the next few days
In the next few days the problems of the Italian penitentiary system will also be discussed in our territory. Tomorrow the Criminal Chamber of Busto will participate in the initiative decided by the Union of Italian Criminal Chambers to «raise public awareness on the conditions of degradation to which prisoners are forcedon working conditions of prison police and operators within prison institutions”.
Starting from 10.30am, in Piazza San Giovanni the oratory marathon entitled “Stopping suicides in prison” will be held. There is no more time.”
On Friday, however, the Valle di Ezechiele (in via Colombo 90 in Fagnano) hosts the event organized with the Criminal Chamber “Dying in prison. Overcrowding, dignity of prisoners and protection of rights”. There will be a training session aimed in particular at lawyers, in the afternoon, and a round table open to all starting from 9pm, preceded by a “prisoner dinner”, with prison economy products. Speakers will include, among others, Anna Bonanomi, president of the La Valle di Ezechiele cooperative, the president of the Criminal Chamber of Busto Samuele Genoni, lawyers and magistrates who are experts in the matter, the chaplain of the prison Don Davide Maria Riboldi, the guarantor of the prisoners Pietro Roncari and some local politicians.
