Rebibbia Prison, Falanga (Arcigay): "We are calling for urgent intervention for the two gay inmates confined to single cells."“
The facts were reported a few days ago by the former mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno, in his "cell diary".
Bologna, November 3, 2025 – “On behalf of Arcigay, I would like to express my deep concern regarding the situation reported by former Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno in his “Cell Diary” from Rebibbia prison, where he describes the conditions of two homosexual inmates, forced to share a single cell of just a few square meters with an exposed toilet and no sink,” he declared. Daniela Lourdes Falanga, of the national secretariat of Arcigay. He continues: "According to Alemanno's reconstruction, the two men, both openly gay, were housed in the same cramped space, originally designed for a single person, after one of them had been placed in solitary confinement for a suicide attempt. The cell, already inadequate in itself, was further compromised by the installation of a bunk bed, reducing the living space to about one square meter per person, well below European standards, which require at least three square meters. What we describe," Falanga continues, "is not just an emergency caused by prison overcrowding but a systematic violation of fundamental human rights. In Italy, a condition of grave vulnerability persists for LGBTQIA+ prisoners, who risk discrimination, isolation, and denial of the right to dignity. The story takes on even more paradoxical contours in light of the Constitutional Court's recognition in January 2024 of the right to emotional relationships for prisoners. More than a year and a half after that historic ruling," Falanga continues, "only 32 institutions out of 100 remain in prisons." 189 have suitable spaces. In Rebibbia, instead of creating adequate conditions, it seems the choice is for solutions that humiliate individuals and deny their identity. Therefore, we call for an immediate assessment of the conditions of the two inmates and their relocation to dignified spaces. Furthermore, we reiterate our call for the urgent adoption of national guidelines that recognize the specific vulnerability of LGBTQIA+ inmates, as well as actions to collect and publish disaggregated data on the LGBTQIA+ prison population. Finally, we call for the establishment of a discussion forum between the Department of Penitentiary Administration, the Ministry of Justice, the Prisoners' Ombudspersons, and LGBTQIA+ associations to define and implement concrete policies,“ concludes Daniela Lourdes Falanga.
