Italy will add up to 15,000 new prison places and divert inmates with addiction issues to treatment centres, as the government confronts a severe overcrowding crisis and record suicide rates behind bars.

Italy’s government has unveiled a sweeping plan to expand prison capacity and redirect thousands of inmates with addiction problems into rehabilitation facilities, aiming to ease one of Europe’s worst prison overcrowding crises.

The announcement comes amid heightened concern over conditions in Italy’s detention centres following record levels of inmate suicides and severe summer heat in prisons lacking air conditioning.

As of 15 July, Italy housed 62,986 inmates despite an effective capacity for only 47,289, placing the country’s prison occupancy rate at 133%, according to the Justice Ministry. This ranks Italy among the worst in Europe, behind only Cyprus and France, based on World Prison Brief data.

"We believe that a just state should adjust the capacity of prisons to the number of people that need to serve their sentences," said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in a statement on Tuesday evening.

The government presented a €758 million ($890 million) package to build nearly 10,000 new prison spaces by 2027 and outlined a separate unbudgeted plan to create an additional 5,000 spaces within five years.

A draft law was also introduced to allow inmates with drug or alcohol addictions — estimated to be nearly one-third of the prison population — to serve their sentences in rehabilitation centres rather than in prison.

"These are people who need treatment rather than criminals who need punishment," said Justice Minister Carlo Nordio. He also referenced a recent initiative to potentially release up to 10,000 inmates nearing the end of their sentences through house arrest or probation.

A special taskforce has been formed to accelerate the review process for early releases, though authorities caution that implementation will be gradual due to political sensitivities within the ruling right-wing coalition, which has traditionally favoured a hardline approach to crime.

The Italian parliament had previously passed legislation to improve prison conditions, but critics say the impact has been negligible.

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