Associazione Antigone’s comment on DAP’s statement on admissions in overcrowded facilities

A few days ago, seven sections of the Sollicciano Correctional Facility in Florence (Italy) were placed under preventive seizure by the Public Prosecutor’s Office due to the lack of the sanitary, habitability, and safety standards required by law. More than 200 inmates have since been transferred to other prisons, inevitably worsening overcrowding elsewhere.

In response, the Department of Penitentiary Administration (DAP) stated that it is “no longer in a position to guarantee compliance with the facility’s standard capacity limits.” For this reason, several prison administrations had already begun refusing new admissions because of the lack of available space.
However, the DAP has now instructed prison directors to admit everyone brought in by law enforcement, using all available space and, “if necessary, even beyond that limit,” including, as a last resort, the temporary use of cots or mattresses on the floor.

According to Associazione Antigone these are unprecedented statements, made in blatant disregard of the Torreggiani and Others v. Italy judgment of the European Court of Human Rights. This internal circular effectively instructs prison directors to disregard legal standards and further undermine the dignity and fundamental rights of people in detention.