Record Number of Minors in Italian Juvenile Prisons, 54% Increase in Two Years

Rome: Some 600 minors are currently detained in juvenile prisons across Italy, marking a record increase of 54% over the past two years, according to a report by the prisoners’ rights association Antigone. The organization disclosed these figures on Thursday, highlighting concerns about the rising number of young individuals in detention facilities.

According to Ansa News Agency, Antigone’s report titled ‘Senza Respiro’ (Breathless) revealed that as of April 30, 2025, there were 611 young people, including 27 girls, incarcerated in Italian juvenile prisons. This number is a significant rise from the 381 minors recorded at the end of 2022, and the 587 reported at the end of 2024.

The report suggests that the increase would have been even greater if not for the facilitation introduced by the Caivano decree. This decree allows for the transfer of over-18s from the juvenile circuit to adult prisons as a punitive measure, which disrupts the educational path of the youth and hinders their recovery. In 2024 alone, there were 189 such transfers, marking an 80% increase from 2022, when there were 105 transfers.

Antigone also highlighted the cramped conditions prevalent in Italian prisons, noting that in 30 facilities, cells were less than three meters square. The report further elaborated that out of the 95 institutions visited, half are located outside urban areas, while the remaining half are within urban contexts. Of the latter, only eight are recently built, while 19 date back to before 1900.

Additionally, the dossier pointed out the widespread use of psychopharmacological therapies within these institutions. It revealed that 44.25% of detainees are administered sedatives or hypnotics, while 20.4% use mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and antidepressants.