Italian prison system facing coronavirus: between troubles and resilience

This contribution is an analysis on the consequences of the coronavirus spread in the Italian prison system, highlighting concerns and potential prospects of improvements. Like other extremely vulnerable contexts, prisons are affected by the spread of Covid-19, resulting however weaker in providing effective strategies to ensure prevention, health and safety. Due to structural flaws, unhealthy conditions and endemic shortfalls, penitentiaries see a high risk of an outbreak of the illness. The prison crumbling and chronic overcrowded state make social distancing impossible. In addition to this, the coronavirus impact exacerbates pre-existing difficulties of the prison system. In such a dramatic scenario, and in spite of the inadequate government response in providing efficient resources against the virus diffusion, some detention facilities seem to be resilient in fighting back the epidemic, adopting strategies and solutions which could be considered a valuable starting point towards a better way of conceiving punishment.