Rome, March 20 (LaPresse) – "Although overcrowding is not the only cause of suicides in prison, the levels of overcrowding in correctional facilities have become intolerable, and the increasing rate of suicides is unbearable. For this reason, everyone in the ANM now agrees that a measure is needed to ease the situation, and special early release is one of the solutions to address the emergency," said Stefano Celli, deputy secretary of the ANM, in a statement to LaPresse.
"A measure that temporarily broadens the criteria for early release has the dual advantage of immediately reducing the prison population while also giving hope to inmates who, during the period of its application, can earn additional days off through good behavior," Celli explained. "The ANM has previously urged the adoption of measures like this. That said, any solution is welcome as long as it works. The only certainty is that the Prison Decree, which we had immediately said would not solve the problem, has indeed resolved nothing—months after its adoption, the situation remains unchanged."
"If we do not act soon, we will once again face condemnation from the European Court of Human Rights," he concluded.