Pope visits Rome jail, decries overcrowding

(December 19, 2011) Pope Benedict XVI brought tears to the eyes of hardened criminals Sunday, morning telling them in a visit to one of Italy's toughest prisons that overcrowding was a "double sentence" and whatever their offence, it could not erase their dignity. His Christmas visit to Rome’s Rebibbia prison took place two days after Italy's new government announced extraordinary measures to improve prison conditions. In her address to the Pope Justice Minister, Paola Severino acknowledged that he was visiting "a place of profound suffering" and that "arid" statistics could not do justice to the "terrible conditions of persons who keep their experiences and sufferings in their hearts". The 84-year-old Pope delivered an address to inmates and fielded unscripted answers to their questions for about half an hour and greeting a number of them personally in the prison's church. "I know that overcrowding and degradation in prison can make detention even more bitter," he told representatives of several hundred inmates of the prison, which has 500 more inmates than the 1,240 it was built to hold. "Prisoners are human beings who are worthy, despite their crime, of being treated with respect and dignity," he said. He said overcrowding and poor conditions were tantamount to serving "a double sentence" and that authorities should do everything possible to improve the situation. A prisoner named Rocco asked the Pope if politicians knew what prisoners endure. "I know that you live in a very difficult situation that often, instead of helping to renew your friendship with God and humanity, makes the situation worse," the Holy Father answered. "The purpose of jails,” he said, “should be to help justice and the first thing demanded by justice is human dignity." "It is important jails renew human dignity and not attack it," he added. He heard one African, Omar, speak of their and their families’ suffering, while another African, Okai, asked if God listened only to the rich. Another Italian inmate, Federico complained that prisoners with HIV are looked at "ferociously" s if to eliminate them from society. The Pope told him: "People speak ferociously even against the Pope, but nonetheless we have to move on."