Italy's prison system must be
reformed, Premier Mario Draghi told authorities after visiting a
jail near Naples where 52 warders were recently arrested after
allegedly brutally beating inmates after a COVID riot in April
last year.
"We are not here to celebrate triumphs or successes but to face
the consequences of our defeats", he said.
Referring to videos of the alleged beatings, Draghi said "what
we saw in the last few days deeply shocked the consciences of
the Italians.
"They are images of over a year ago. The ongoing investigations
will establish individual responsibilities. But collective
responsibility (belongs to) a system that must be reformed."
Draghi went on: "The Italian Constitution lays down in Article
27 the principles that must guide the instrument of detention:
"Penalties cannot consist in treatment contrary to the sense of
humanity and must tend towards the re-education of the
convicted".
"These principles must be accompanied by safeguarding universal
rights: the right to psycho-physical integrity, education, work
and health, just to cite a few. These rights must always be
protected, in particular in a context that sees limitations of
freedom.
"The government has no intention of forgetting. The proposals of
Minister Cartabia represent a first step that I support with
conviction, There can be no justice where there is abuse. And
there cannot be re-education where there is abuse.
"Italy has been condemned twice by the European Court of Human
Rights for prison overcrowding. There are almost 3,000 inmates
more than the available beds. In Campanian institutes they are
around 450. The numbers are improving, but they are still
unacceptable. They obstruct the path towards rehabilitation and
reinsertion into social life, objectives often indicated by the
Constitutional Court".
Cartabia said that the pandemic "acted as a detonator for
longstanding issues" that afflict Italy's jails, the prime one
being overcrowding, and there must be intervention at "several
levels" including material facilities and training, but also on
the legislative front. She said the government's new package of
reforms corrects "penal measures just centered on prison".
Cartabia said more prison staff must be hired, as soon as
possible.
"We need more funds and more commitment in permanent training".
especially for "penitentiary police that have to accompany
inmates in their process of re-education".
Turning to Draghi, Cartabia said "this must be the opportunity
to make sure the prison world turns the page".
Earlier, as the premier toured the jail, prisoners chanted his
name and "pardon, pardon".
Naples police sent in special penitentiary police forces after
the April 6 riot at the jail at Santa Maria Capua Vetere near
Caserta north of Naples. The special forces are suspected of
brutality and may also face charges of torture in the methods
used to 'punish' the rioters, judicial sources said.
A preliminary investigations judge (GIP) said prisoners were
made to strip and kneel and beaten with guards wearing their
helmets so as not to be identified in what he called "a horrible
massacre". Some 15 men were also put into solitary without any
justification, the GIP said.
Police reportedly found chats on the suspects' phones including,
before the alleged violence, "We'll kill them like veal calves"
and "tame the beasts", and afterwards "four hours of hell for
them", "no one got away", and "(we used) the Poggioreale
system", referring to a tough Naples prison. Some of the alleged
rioters had their hair cut and beards shaved off.
Among those probed are doctors who allegedly falsely certified
that some warders had been hurt in the clashes.
Cartabia has said that CCTV footage of the violence showed that
the officers had betrayed the Italian Constitution.
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