Rome Prisons in Critical Condition, Warns Jailed Ex-Mayor Alemanno

Rome: Former Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno, currently serving a jail term for influence peddling and illegal party funding, has raised alarms about the critical state of the Italian capital’s prisons in his recent online ‘cell diary’. Alemanno highlighted the dire conditions of Rome’s largest prison, Rebibbia, stating it is on the verge of collapse.

According to Ansa News Agency, Alemanno, in collaboration with fellow inmate Fabio Falbo, emphasized that the prison administration is overwhelmed and unable to accommodate new arrivals, resulting in inmates being held in solitary confinement. He also pointed out that Regina Coeli, another major prison in Rome, is experiencing even worse overcrowding and disrepair. Alemanno warned that the entire penitentiary system in the capital is at risk of a crisis.

Alemanno expressed hope that Justice Minister Carlo Nordio will fulfill promises to propose solutions for the penitentiary system’s challenges when the parliament reconvenes after the summer recess. Overcrowding and inadequate staffing in Italian prisons have been associated with high inmate suicide rates.

Alemanno has been detained in Rebibbia since December 31, 2024, for failing to comply with surveillance judges’ obligations following a definitive conviction for illicit influence. In February 2022, he received a suspended sentence of one year and 10 months for his involvement in a political-business racketeering case known as ‘Middle World’.