Mattarella: 'Suicides in prison are a defeat for the State'

"There are many problems, the first of which is the scourge of suicides that is not abating: each of these cases is a defeat of the State to which the lives of prisoners are entrusted". This was said by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, meeting the Head of the Department of Penitentiary Administration and a representation of the Penitentiary Police.

Mattarella emphasised that 'there is a need that must be developed more and more for the purpose of reintegration and rehabilitation of prisoners. This applies to everyone, particularly the youngest. It is a constitutional obligation but it is also a choice of civilisation and an investment in the security of citizenship because rehabilitation leads to extremely low recidivism. It is a goal laid down in the Constitution that the Republic has an obligation to cultivate,' the President of the Republic added.

Prison police, the Head of State recalled, are called upon to perform tasks "of great responsibility, often in very difficult conditions, sometimes in unbearable difficulties due to overcrowded conditions, due to the structural conditions of prison buildings not being adequate for the task they are called upon to perform". In addition to this, 'there is a shortage of personnel and also a shortage of professionalism, such as health professionals and trainers, which are essential in the prison world. There is an overall condition that requires from you," the Head of State emphasised, "a special commitment, an extra commitment