Foreigners in Italian prisons higher than EU average

(ANSA) - Rome, April 15 - One in three prisoners in Italy's penitentiary system is non-Italian, a percentage that is higher than the European average of 21%, according to a report by the Antigone Association released on Friday.
    The percentage of foreign prisoners has dropped to 33.4% from a peak in 2009 when it stood at 37.1%, the report said.
    It said 70% of foreign prisoners have less than three years left to serve on their sentences.
    The five nationalities most represented in the Italian prison system are: Moroccan (16.9% of foreign prisoners), Romanian (15.9%), Albanian (13.8%), Tunisian (11%), and Nigerian (3.9%), according to the report.
    Of Italian prisoners, the report said the highest percentage come from regions in the country's south: Campania (18.5%), Sicily (12%), and Puglia (7.1%).