As Italy experienced its hottest summer in 75 years, the country’s prison system faced severe challenges as record heat compounded longstanding issues of overcrowding and infrastructure deficits. Inmates across Italy’s approximately 200 detention facilities endured temperatures regularly exceeding 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit), intensifying already difficult conditions inside aging and congested prisons.

Fabio Falbo, an inmate serving a murder sentence at Rome’s Rebibbia prison, described this summer as the worst in his 17 years of incarceration. To cope with the heat, some prisoners resorted to sleeping on concrete floors, which were marginally cooler than their bunks despite unsanitary conditions. Falbo referred to his environment as a “claustrophobic hell of stone and flesh,” highlighting the impact of extreme temperatures on daily life.

The situation is exacerbated by overcrowding. Italian prisons currently hold nearly 65,000 inmates, exceeding their combined capacity of about 47,000. This has led to cramped cells with inadequate ventilation, a shortage of fans, and an absence of air-conditioning. The independent watchdog Antigone reported these factors placed “significant strain” on the penal system, worsening existing logistical and health challenges.

Prison staff also face difficulties managing heightened temperatures. Guards in southern Italy’s Puglia region reported internal temperatures reaching as high as 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit), prompting a complaint to prosecutors by the guards’ union. Vito Ferrara, a prison guard in southern Italy, described a rise in inmates feeling unwell or exhibiting aggressive behavior during the summer months, attributing it to the harsh heat conditions.

While Italy’s Justice Ministry declined direct comment on these reports, it referenced prior statements from Stefano Carmine De Michele, head of the prison administration, who noted the allocation of about $920,000 for purchasing refrigerators and fans. However, proposals to install air-conditioning within cells remain off the table, according to De Michele.

The current government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has committed to constructing additional prison facilities and recently enacted legislation aimed at alternative sentencing for some drug-related offenses, including serving sentences through treatment centers or house arrest. Nevertheless, these measures have not yet led to a reduction in the prison population. The administration has concurrently introduced stricter criminal laws, prolonged sentences, and limited early-release options, aligning with its tougher stance on crime.

Many of the prisons affected are old structures, some more than a century old, while nearly 40 percent were built between 1980 and 1999 — before increasing summer temperatures became a recurrent issue. Claudia Clementi, warden of Regina Coeli prison in Rome, characterized overcrowding as the major problem, complicating efforts to provide adequate hygiene and staff rehabilitation programs. Regina Coeli, housed in a former 17th-century convent, holds over 1,000 inmates—almost double its designed capacity.

Clementi noted the prison’s thick stone walls create a “microclimate” that offers limited relief compared to other institutions, though Rev. Vittorio Trani, the prison chaplain, cautioned that the walls absorb heat during the day, which is later released, intensifying the indoor temperature. Inmates typically lack fans, and confinement to cells for most of the day leaves few opportunities to escape the oppressive heat, as outdoor time is limited to a two-hour window in the early afternoon when temperatures are often highest.

Campaigners gathered at Regina Coeli in July to spotlight these conditions as summer heat soared. Stefano Anastasia, a former regional ombudsman for detainees, described how prisoners frequently remain inside their overheated cells, further suffering from cramped and uncomfortable conditions.

At Rebibbia, narrow windows trap hot air within small cells, creating a stifling atmosphere. Falbo said his fan provided little respite, merely circulating hot air like “the draft of an industrial oven.” The combination of extreme heat, overcrowding, and aging infrastructure has created a precarious environment for both inmates and staff, underscoring persistent challenges in Italy’s penal system during this record-breaking summer.