The Italian government has suspended all prison visits amid fear of the virus spreading among detainees. Such concerns are warranted, given existing problems of  chronic overcrowding - most prisons were already at 120 to 130 capacity. For more information on the prison conditions see Antigone's report.

Cancelled visits have been replaced by increased access to telephone calls, with smart phones being distributed to prisoners in some cases. Yet tensions remain high due to the loss of visiting rights and conditions overall. Protests have broken out in several Italian prisons, and riots in some. There have been reports of inmates burning mattresses, refusing to return to their cells, and, in one case, escaping custody.

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