The National Guarantor for the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty (Garante Nazionale del diritto delle persone private della libertà personale) has published its latest Analytical Report of the Adult Penitentiary Observatory,  with an updated statistical overview of Italy’s prison system as of 30 May, 2025. The report relies on official data from the Department of Penitentiary Administration (DAP) and offers a detailed analysis of detention conditions across the country.

Prison Population and Capacity

As of 30 May  2025, there were 62,722 detainees in the Italian prisons system. The system’s regular capacity stood at 51,285, but only 46,706 places were actually usable due to non-operational sections or cells. This results in a national overcrowding rate of 134.29% when measured against available spaces, and 122.27% when compared to the regular capacity. The issue of overcrowding remains a widespread structural condition in the Italian penitentiary system. 

Institutional and Regional Disparities

Out of 189 penitentiary institutions, 156 (83%) exceeded the overcrowding threshold of 100%, while 63 facilities (33%) had rates equal or exceeding 150%. The Lucca prison recorded the highest overcrowding, at 236.84%, followed by Foggia prison (218.06%) and San Vittore in Milan (208.90%). At the regional level, Puglia had the highest rate (170.72%), with Lombardy, Molise, and Friuli Venezia Giulia all above 150%. Only Valle d’Aosta, Sardinia, and Trentino-Alto Adige stayed below 100%.

Legal Status and Sentence Distribution

Among the detainees, 68.60% were serving a final judgement . Others were held in pre-trial detention: 15.04% awaiting first-instance judgement, 5.24% pending appeal, and 3.58% awaiting final judgment. Approximately 31.56% of the overall population were foreign nationals.

Regarding prison terms 23,995 detainees had three years or less remaining, which could qualify for alternative measures. In total, 1,450 people were in semi-liberty, and 19,575 exited prison under alternative measures in the period considered. 

Personal Living Space and Detention Conditions

The report highlighted concerns over detainees’ personal space: 10 individuals were confined to less than 3 square meters each, while 15,314 had between 3 and 4 square meters. These measurements fall below critical thresholds established by the European Court of Human Rights, which sets standards to ensure compliance with Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, prohibiting torture and inhumane or degrading treatment.

Entry, Exit, and Trends Over Time

The number of entries  of new inmates during the monitored period was 42,289 against 30,317 exits, leading to a net increase of 11,972 detainees. Among foreign nationals, the negative balance was 3,390. Since 2020, the prison population has grown by 10,449 individuals, while the number of available places decreased by 1,193, intensifying systemic overcrowding. 

Purpose of the Report

The report supports the Guarantor’s institutional role in promoting, monitoring, ensuring transparency and compliance with legal and human rights standards in places of detention. It is intended as a technical tool for public authorities, aimed at improving prison policies through accurate and current data.