Incarcerated Ex Rome Mayor Calls on Politicians to Visit Overcrowded Jails

Rome: Ex Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno, currently serving a sentence for influence peddling and illegal party funding, has made a public appeal urging Italy’s politicians to visit the country’s jails. Alemanno highlights the poor conditions and chronic overcrowding that inmates endure, exacerbated by a recent heatwave, which has led to an alarming increase in inmate suicides.

According to Ansa News Agency, Alemanno’s appeal was conveyed through his lawyer, Edoardo Albertario. Alemanno, who is detained in the Roman prison of Rebibbia, is calling on political figures to witness firsthand the dire conditions within the prison walls. Albertario described the harsh conditions, noting that Alemanno shares a cell with five others and that the metal construction of Rebibbia turns it into an unbearable environment during the summer months.

The situation has also been linked to multiple suicide attempts, particularly during the recent G8 summit, highlighting the urgency of addressing these prison conditions. Alemanno, through his lawyer, did not rule out further protests involving political figures and associations that have long championed prisoner rights.

Alemanno has been incarcerated in Rebibbia since December 31, 2024, after failing to comply with the terms set by surveillance judges following his conviction. His probation was revoked after he did not adhere to supervision conditions. Alemanno was originally sentenced in February 2022 to a suspended term of one year and ten months for his involvement in the ‘Middle World’ political-business racketeering case.

Further complicating his situation, Alemanno allegedly met with Paolo Colosimo, a former lawyer with a criminal record, multiple times in 2024. This, along with a new investigation into possible fiscal crimes, contributed to the surveillance court’s decision to order his detention.

The issue of prison overcrowding and its consequences were starkly illustrated by the recent death of a young man who hanged himself in Milan’s San Vittore Prison, marking the 36th inmate suicide this year. The prison union UILPA has repeatedly called for measures to reduce overcrowding, increase staffing, and improve conditions, noting that Italian prisons are currently over capacity by 16,000 inmates.