Heatwaves have exposed the overcrowding crisis in Europe’s ageing prisons, with France, Italy, and Belgium struggling to provide adequate conditions for inmates. In France, the chief prison inspector, Dominique Simonnot, said her office was inundated with complaints from detainees during a severe heatwave in June.
Overcrowding and Ageing Facilities
The problem of overcrowding is exacerbated by the age of the prison facilities, with many lacking air conditioning and proper ventilation. In Italy, a coalition of prison rights activists organized simultaneous visits to 34 prisons to raise awareness about the inhumane conditions. Italy’s justice ministry has allocated €800,000 to buy fans and refrigerators for the summer, but none have been created so far.
In Belgium, the justice minister, Annelies Verlinden, said the government had offered prisoners more water and showers. However, the directors of two of Belgium’s oldest prisons said that heatwaves have led to a rise in tensions, with more fights among inmates and confrontations with staff.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
