Horrific cannibalism incident in Poggioreale prison underlines the need for psychiatric facilities

“On Wednesday afternoon, a horrific incident of cannibalism occurred in Poggioreale prison. An inmate suffering from a mental disorder diagnosed at the Torre del Greco hospital from which he had been released was first attacked by throwing cleaning products in the eyes of another inmate also suffering from mental problems, and then literally biting off part of his finger and eating it.” This was announced by the guarantor of prisoners in Campania, Samuele Ciambriello. “In addition to increasing the number of psychiatrists, it is now clear that Poggioreale prison needs a suitable structure to accommodate inmates with mental disorders. If not a structure, then at least a special operational unit with nurses, social workers, rehabilitation technicians and psychologists,” he explains. “In the facility there are more than two hundred psychiatric inmates, of whom about eighty are psychotic. It is necessary to apply Decree of the Regional Health Office of Campania no. 6 of 25/01/2018, art. 33.3. Who treats freelance psychiatric patients?” “The mental health unit is made up of psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, social workers, psychiatric rehabilitation technicians, educators and OSS,” he underlines. “To treat mental illnesses, therefore, not only a psychiatrist is required, which is why these professionals are also required in prison, hence a UOSD. Just as there is a SerD penalty room, which is the same as an external SerD, there can be a simple mental health unit in prison.” Finally, the Guarantor of Campania recalls that “the Poggioreale prison accommodates 2067 inmates, although capacity is limited to 1404 places. There are certainly more than 200 people with mental disorders. Of these, at least 80 are affected by psychosis. In the Florence pavilion, there are people with psychosis among the main prisoners, as there are in the Livorno, Salerno and Rome pavilions. There is no right to health without mental health!”