Death in prison represents one of the most persistent and painful issues within our penitentiary system. It is a matter that, with unsettling regularity, returns to the center of public debate, as if time had brought no progress at all. For decades we have found ourselves discussing it, witnessing a long history of repeated denunciations and a lack of solutions.

Our Constitution, in Article 27, establishes fundamental principles that should guide the entire penal system. First, the accused is not considered guilty until a final conviction is issued: this is the principle of the presumption of innocence, which requires respect for the dignity of anyone subjected to criminal proceedings. Second, the Constitution states that punishments may not consist of treatments contrary to human dignity and must aim at the rehabilitation of the convicted person.

Despite these principles, everyday practice shows that constitutional declarations remain unheard. The news that regularly emerges from Italian prisons confirms this: inhumane conditions, serious incidents, and a constant violation of detainees’ fundamental rights.

To further illustrate this sad continuity, we publish here a bulletin from 1986 which—if any further proof were needed—shows that in forty years nothing has changed. The document stands as tangible evidence of a situation frozen in time, where hopes for change repeatedly shatter against the reality of the facts. (in Italian)