The National Guarantor for the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty has published the annual report on deaths in Italian prisons for 2025, based on data from the Department of Prison Administration and including an analysis of trends over the 2021–2025 period.

Between 1 January and 31 December 2025, 254 deaths were recorded, against an average prison population of 62,841 individuals. This figure represents the highest level in the past five years and confirms a steady increase in prison deaths from 2021 to 2025 (approximately +43%), outpacing the growth of the prison population.

The mortality rate per 1,000 detainees further shows that this increase is only partially explained by population growth. In relative terms, the rate has risen by approximately 20%, indicating a higher overall risk of death.

The aggregate figure must, however, be examined in terms of its composition. Suicides, numbering 76, constitute a significant component of prison mortality, although they show a slight decrease compared to the previous year, also in light of the increase in the prison population. In addition, there were 125 deaths from natural causes, 50 classified as “causes to be ascertained” - among the highest values in the historical series - and 3 deaths from accidental causes. The high number of cases with causes to be ascertained calls for caution in interpreting the overall data.

The Guarantor devotes particular attention to the composition of suicide data, identifying significant differences by gender and nationality. Although in absolute terms suicides predominantly involve men (70 out of 76), the incidence is higher among women: with an average female prison population of approximately 2,754, the rate is about twice that observed among men (2.18 compared to 1.15). Similarly, foreign detainees show a higher incidence than Italian nationals (1.74% compared to 0.95%), despite being fewer in absolute terms (35 versus 41).

Further critical issues emerge from the analysis of the socio-economic conditions of those involved, who are often characterised by marginalisation, unemployment, or low levels of education. These factors point to a possible correlation between suicide in prison and conditions of social vulnerability, as well as limited access to support mechanisms.

Overcrowding also represents a significant concern: across the 55 institutions monitored, the average occupancy rate stands at 151.5%. Although no direct causal link can be established, the living conditions resulting from such overcrowding may contribute to suicide risk, as highlighted by the Guarantor. In light of the rehabilitative function of imprisonment, the report stresses the importance of ensuring adequate living conditions capable of supporting social reintegration, which overcrowding undermines.

As for overall deaths, the report shows that the issue is concentrated in a limited number of regions hosting large metropolitan prisons. Campania and Lombardy record the highest numbers, with 40 cases each, followed by Lazio with 30. Trentino-Alto Adige is the only region where no deaths were recorded in 2025. Targeted interventions in the most critical regions, combined with a “differentiated approach that takes into account territorial specificities,” could have a significant impact on reducing overall mortality.

Overall, the Guarantor highlights the lack of improvement in detention conditions compared to previous years and underscores the urgent need for structural measures aimed at reducing overcrowding, strengthening prevention mechanisms, and ensuring detention conditions in line with constitutional and international standards, particularly with regard to the right to life and the prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment.