Prisons overcrowding, the Council of Europe commended Italy for its efforts

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (intergovernmental institution including 47 Member States, which has nothing to do with the European Union), with a statement issued earlier this week, welcomed the recent efforts Italy has undertaken to resolve the problem of prison overcrowding.

 A first, crucial step for Italy, given that just one year ago the European Court of Human Rights, with the Torregiani ruling, had strongly condemned our country for the conditions of living imposed to detainees. This ‘promotion’ allowed Italy to avoid a huge fine.

 Namely, the Council of Europe “acknowledges the significant results” already achieved and welcomes “the efforts Italian authorities have undertaken through structural measures for being in compliance with the sentences.” Among the results achieved so far, “a significant and continuous cut of prisons population, and the increase of vital spaces to at least 3 square metres per person.”

 The Council of Europe has then stated the situation will be reviewed in one year, in the June 2015 meeting at last, in order to have a full picture of the progresses made.