ROME — Gianni Alemanno, Rome’s far-right former mayor, has found himself at the center of a new political fight since being sentenced to prison. From behind bars, he is denouncing the dire conditions of Italy’s overcrowded prisons — a cause few expected him to champion.
Alemanno, who once belonged to the hard-right political camp that typically favored stricter sentencing, has begun keeping a “cell diary” to detail life inside. In his writings, he shares the daily struggles of inmates, portraying overcrowding, heat, and lack of resources as systemic failures. “Politics is asleep (with air-conditioning), waiting for the commissioner in charge to magically build new prisons,” he wrote in one of his notes.
The issue of overcrowding is not new in Italy. The European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly criticized Rome for failing to ensure adequate living conditions for prisoners, with many jails operating far above capacity.
Despite these long-standing concerns, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government has made tougher sentencing and expanded incarceration a core part of its platform. Critics warn that these policies will exacerbate overcrowding and strain already limited resources.
Alemanno’s unusual advocacy has nevertheless added visibility to the debate. His background as a right-wing figure lends weight to his call for reform, even as it highlights the contradictions within Italy’s political establishment.
Whether his campaign will move the government to act remains uncertain. For now, Italy’s prison population continues to grow, while space and resources lag dangerously behind.
