How much money does a prisoner make in Italy in 2024?

Rehabilitation and Work Opportunities for Prisoners in Italy

While serving a sentence in Italy, the primary goal of detention in penitentiary institutions is to rehabilitate individuals who have committed a crime.
The aim is to reintegrate the inmate into society, ensuring they abide by the law, contribute to the community, and participate in economic development.
This is why, in Italian prisons, inmates may be allowed to work, depending on the needs of the detention facility.

Work for prisoners serves a dual purpose: it enables them to cover their daily expenses while in prison.
This includes not only extra needs but also the amount charged to each inmate for “food and supplies”.
Therefore, allowing prisoners to work is crucial, whenever possible, within a penitentiary institution.

How Much Do Prisoners Earn in Italian Prisons in 2024?

The remuneration for prisoners working in prison is not arbitrary; it is clearly defined by law.
According to the Penitentiary System Law (legge n.
354/1975), the remuneration for inmates engaging in work activities is determined using two different evaluation parameters.
When a detainee works directly for the prison administration (where the prison acts as the employer), the compensation must be two-thirds of what is set by the collective bargaining agreement, depending on the type of work and hours worked.

For example, if both an external worker and an inmate are assigned the same task and work the same hours, the inmate would receive slightly less than two-thirds of what the external worker earns.
This creates a disparity between external workers and those incarcerated, but it is not considered discrimination or an unintentional effect; it is a deliberate choice.
By offering lower costs, the prison administration is encouraged to hire inmates, with positive implications.
Although controversies arise regarding the exploitation of inmate labor, it is deemed a top priority for them to be productive, actively participate in the rehabilitation process, cover expenses, and potentially access alternative measures more easily, subject to certain requirements.

If an inmate is employed by a third-party employer, they must receive the same compensation (based on working hours, tasks, etc.) as a free citizen.
However, external companies, both public and private, do not face the same costs as hiring a free worker, benefiting from various tax and contribution discounts.

Types of Work and Earnings for Prisoners in Italy

According to the Ministry of Justice, prisoners in Italy primarily perform the following tasks within penitentiary facilities:

• Domestic work: institute management (porterage, cleaning, meal delivery, maintenance, etc.)
• Industrial work: necessary for the needs of national institutes (e.g., tailors, carpenters, blacksmiths, and typographers)
• Agricultural work: in cases where the prison has agricultural colonies or lands, specialized tasks such as beekeeping, milking, etc., are performed.

The main objective is to promote self-consumption production, particularly for the sustenance of the penitentiary institution itself.
Considering the various types of employment, a prisoner can earn a maximum of around 600 euros per month, deducting the aforementioned expenses.

Regarding the number of employed inmates, a report from 2022 indicates that 29.2% of the incarcerated population is employed, with 4% working for external companies.