Italian prison guard union seeks probe over alleged 50°C heat in overcrowded jails

A prison guard union in Italy’s southern Puglia region plans to ask prosecutors to investigate alleged workplace safety failures in overcrowded prisons, including claims that temperatures in some areas have reached at least 50°C.

The SAPPE union plans to file the complaint with prosecutors in Taranto on Tuesday, July 28. It accuses prison department officials of negligence over what the union describes as persistent and structural problems involving overcrowding, extreme heat, second-hand smoke and inmates with psychiatric conditions.

The legal filing, known in Italy as an esposto, asks judicial authorities to examine the alleged violations and open a fact-finding investigation. It does not seek damages.

SAPPE lawyer Fabrizio Lofoco described the action as “trailblazing” and said he believed it was the first collective complaint of its kind filed on behalf of Italy’s prison police. The union hopes similar complaints will be filed elsewhere in the country.

The complaint says prison administrators were aware of conditions in Puglia’s prisons and asks prosecutors to assess whether officials could face criminal liability for failing to take preventive measures that might have reduced the risks.

Data from the prison department showed that Taranto prison held 852 inmates on July 24 despite having space for 430.

SAPPE’s Puglia head, Federico Pilagatti, said temperatures in parts of the prison had reached or exceeded 50°C since June and described the cells as “like ovens”.

The union also filed a related complaint with the court of auditors in Bari on June 22. It alleged inefficient management and asked the court to calculate how much Italy had paid prisoners in compensation for breaches of minimum detention-space standards set by the European Court of Human Rights.

SAPPE estimated the cost at about €15 million, or $17 million, a year.

The prison department warned regional supervisors in March to prepare for the summer heat by taking measures including providing shade and water, installing refrigerators in prison wings and avoiding outdoor breaks during the hottest parts of the day.

The supplied report said watchdog inspections had found that the measures were not being applied consistently.

Prisoner advocacy group Antigone said Foggia prison in Puglia was operating at 219 percent of its intended capacity.

It said 73 of Italy’s 189 prisons were at least 150 percent overcrowded as of April 30.

The complaint also alleges that staff shortages repeatedly force prison guards to work overtime, sometimes in 12-hour shifts.

Pilagatti warned that the combination of extreme heat and overcrowding was increasing the risk of unrest and suicide.

Antigone said 82 prisoners died by suicide last year. Prison watchdogs separately said the suicide rate among prison guards was three times the national average.