Rebibbia is Rome’s largest prison and one of the largest in Italy. The chaplains told us that the prison population stands at around 1,600 inmates, compared to a capacity of 1,000, resulting in an overcrowding rate of 141%.
The international choir of the Sisters of Charity was welcomed on Saturday morning, 18 April, by the chaplain, Fr Marco, to celebrate together with the prisoners in one of the prison wings, leading the singing.
We were deeply impressed by their attentive and wholehearted participation, as well as by the Liturgy of the Word, proclaimed with faith and dignity.
At the end of Mass, the chaplain, Father Lucio, gathered around him the four “sacristans”, four men currently in detention who carry out the delicate and valuable task of liaising between the chaplains and the inmates. They are also responsible for the “initial reception” of people entering the prison. A very difficult phase to face.
They were then joined by the two seminarians from the Roman Seminary who are carrying out pastoral service at Rebibbia this year and a prison officer.
We thank them all for the great humanity they have shown, for their sensitivity, and for their willingness—which cannot be taken for granted—to put themselves in others’ shoes.
We listened to testimonies of life:
from someone who will soon have served his sentence and is worried about the prejudices he and his family will face, hoping to return to his job as a lorry driver;The chaplains then outlined the current situation to us: the rise in overcrowding has been evident since October 2025, following the collapse of part of the roof at Regina Coeli prison. Since then, Rebibbia has become the facility to which those arrested in the capital are taken.from someone who comes from Spanish prisons – genuine rehabilitation centres that engage inmates holistically, preparing them for their future freedom – and who now finds himself in the Italian prison system, which is still focused on serving a sentence in an environment that presents numerous critical issues regarding the living conditions and health of prisoners and the pathways to social reintegration following their sentence
of those with a teenage daughter who desperately needs her father’s presence, whilst her mother is in serious ill health;
of the imprisoned mother who can keep her little girl with her in her cell, but only until the age of three, already imagining the agony of separation
of those imprisoned for minor offences, the number of whom has recently increased, and for whom sentences have been unnecessarily harshened, without properly exploring the issue of alternative sentences outside the prison system
of the prison guard who has worked at Rebibbia for many years and knows every single prisoner entrusted to him by name, looking after them with care and attention.
Such high numbers have made it necessary to convert communal areas into sleeping quarters, which accommodate up to 10 people at a time. There have been no developments regarding the construction of a new wing, known as G10, which would increase capacity by around 400 places.
The worst period to deal with is always the summer months: the in-house schools are closed, as are the cooking, gardening, tailoring and foreign language courses… which are run almost exclusively by volunteers. Rome’s heat takes its toll on the overcrowded cells and makeshift dormitories. Others are set up in the summer to temporarily accommodate the homeless who ‘disturb’ the tourists.
Foreigners account for 40% of the total population of Rebibbia.
Efforts are made to ensure support and guidance for all faiths: Orthodox Easter was celebrated, as was the festival marking the end of the Islamic Ramadan. There are Jehovah’s Witnesses and several Protestant churches present.For all of us in the international choir, it was a moment of solidarity, reflection and awareness. We give our heartfelt thanks for this grace and wish to accompany our brothers and sisters currently in detention through prayer and cultural awareness.
Sister Paola Arosio
