Third “White Book” released by a coalition of Italian NGOs: The 2006 “tough on drugs” shift is the main reason for prison overcrowding in Italy

On the International Day against Drug Abuse, several Italian NGOs and associations of magistrates and lawyers presented the Third White Book on the 2006 Italian drug legislation and its consequences on the criminal justice and prison systems. The report is based on official data collected from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Department of Prisons Administration.

The Third White Book confirms the “unintended consequences” of the current national drug legislation, and concludes that the overcrowding of the Italian prisons is mainly due to the high rates of imprisonment for minor drug crimes. The report also highlights flaws in data gathering and suggests methodological improvements for a more reliable process of evaluation of the drug legislation.

Presently, the Third White Book is the only available report on data collected in 2011, as this year the Drug Policies Department has not yet released its official “Relazione Annuale al Parlamento sulle tossicodipendenze”. The 2012 edition of the White Book has been quoted in many news agencies (such as Redattore Sociale) and national daily papers (such as Unità, Manifesto, and the chain AGL).

A summary of the White Book in English is available below. Please click here to access the full report in Italian.

Keep up-to-date with drug policy developments by subscribing to the IDPC Monthly Alert.