Italy's Plan to Tackle Prison Overcrowding

Italy plans to release up to 10,000 prisoners to address overcrowding. Eligible inmates must have less than two years left to serve, with no serious recent disciplinary issues. The program excludes those convicted of serious offenses. A taskforce will oversee the process.

Italy is set to release around 10,000 prisoners to address severe overcrowding in its prisons, the Justice Ministry announced. The initiative could impact 15% of the country's total inmate population.

Eligible prisoners must have final convictions, no more than two years remaining in their sentences, and a clean disciplinary record for a year. Excluded are those guilty of serious crimes.

The country faces one of Europe's highest prison occupancy rates at 122%, surpassed only by Cyprus, France, and Turkey, as reported by the World Prison Brief database. The move follows increased concern over prison conditions amid rising suicides and heatwave challenges.

(With inputs from agencies.)