A 49-year-old inmate has died by suicide at the prison in Viterbo, in Italy’s Lazio region, bringing the number of suicides recorded in Italian prisons since the start of 2026 to 58. The man, who was from the city and had a history of substance dependency, is the third inmate to die by suicide at the same facility this year. “Another suicide in prison today, in Viterbo. As always, we do not know the underlying reasons, and perhaps we never will. But we cannot ignore the fact that this is the third suicide at the facility since the beginning of the year, amid mounting tensions and growing difficulties,” said Stefano Anastasìa, the Lazio regional ombudsman for people deprived of their liberty. Anastasìa called for urgent action. “The region must urgently adopt its new suicide prevention plan and ensure that it is implemented in all prisons.” He also stressed the need to improve detention conditions. “It is equally urgent to restore an atmosphere of mutual trust between inmates and the prison authorities and to reduce overcrowding, so that staff can pay closer attention to the individual life stories of those in custody. This is the first essential step in preventing suicides in prison.” Six prison suicides have been recorded in Lazio since the beginning of the year: three in Viterbo, two at Rebibbia and one at Regina Coeli, both prisons in Rome. Across Italy, there were 80 prison suicides in 2025, according to Ristretti Orizzonti, a publication that monitors prison conditions.