From Rebibbia Prison to the Senate: Gianni Alemanno's Letter

In the heart of the parliamentary debate on the reform of the separation of careers, an extraordinary voice has emerged: that of Gianni Alemanno , former mayor of Rome and minister, currently detained in the Rebibbia prison . A letter of his, read in the Chamber by the Democratic Party senator Michele Fina, has sparked a new perspective on the prison conditions and the challenges of Italian justice, bringing attention back to the reality behind bars while Parliament discusses important institutional changes.

Gianni Alemanno Sentenced

Gianni Alemanno , former mayor of Rome and former minister of agricultural policies, was involved in the investigation “Mondo di Mezzo”, also known as “ Mafia Capitale ”, which revealed mafia infiltration in the Capitoline administration.

According to the prosecution, between 2012 and 2014, Alemanno allegedly received 223,500 euros from Salvatore Buzzi, one of the main defendants, through his foundation “Nuova Italia”. In exchange, he allegedly acted as a political reference for the organization within the Municipality of Rome.

In the first instance, in February 2019, Alemanno was sentenced to six years in prison for corruption and illicit financing. Subsequently, the Court of Appeal confirmed the sentence, emphasizing his “evident guilt”.

However, the Court of Cassation overturned the corruption charges, maintaining only the one of illicit financing, reducing the sentence to one year and ten months . Alemanno served part of the sentence with community service, but was later arrested for violations of the prescriptions, including providing false justifications. He is currently serving the remainder of his sentence in Rebibbia prison.

During the examination of the reform on the separation of careers, the Democratic Party senator Michele Fina brought to the Chamber a letter written by Gianni Alemanno, former mayor and minister, detained for months in Rebibbia. In his “cell diary”, Alemanno denounces the conditions of the prisons , marked by overcrowding and unbearable heat in recent weeks.

Alemanno describes the most difficult moment as the one in which the heat exacerbates the discomfort of overcrowding, while politics remains indifferent to the problem. In the letter, dated June 29, 2025, the one hundred and eightieth day of detention, the former mayor describes the “hell” of the “oven cells” of Rebibbia, where in the best cases one can only count on a fan.

“While temperatures exceed 45 degrees, fans are a luxury for a few, cells are gas chambers , showers work intermittently and drinking water is scarce, every summer the same script repeats itself: suicides, protests, appeals, and then silence.”

The former mayor denounces that, while the newspapers talk about the heat that hits citizens and tourists, the condition of the prisoners is ignored , calling it a real shame. Alemanno underlines how, despite the oppressive heat and the numerous prison protests registered already in June, politics remains indifferent.

“ If a student wanted to clearly experience the meaning of the physical concept of “ thermal gradient ” he should come here to Rebibbia and move from the ground floor to the second and last floor. On the ground floor, thanks to the humidity that comes from the ground, the summer heat is still bearable, but going up the stairs that lead to the second floor, the temperature increases progressively by at least a couple of degrees for each of the four flights that make up these stairs. So, when you get to the top, it is almost ten degrees warmer. If, like me, you live in the last cell in the corridor, the one exposed to the sun not only on the ceiling but also on two sides, the “oven effect” is a reality .”

Alemanno reports that the Surveillance Courts, especially the one in Rome, lack personnel and mental flexibility , and for this reason they are unable to grant alternative sentences even to those who have all the legal requirements. He tells the story of Mario, an 81-year-old prisoner arrested for a definitive sentence of fifteen years for financial crimes committed some time before, who after a month and a half in prison finally obtained the right to house arrest from the Surveillance Court, but who five days later was still in prison, with serious visible health problems. Alemanno emphasizes that, despite this situation, politics remains inactive waiting for the Commissioner in charge to build new prisons to house the over 14,000 people detained in excess of the regulatory capacity of the penitentiary institutions.

“Of course, until yesterday, attention was diverted by a new war that could spread from Iran to the entire Mediterranean, but for a few days the news has only been talking about the heat that is hitting citizens and tourists. Not about prisoners? Problem removed, even journalistically? Someone will tell me: but you also slept when you were a minister , or mayor, or a member of parliament. No, my dears, I lost sleep over it , I had meetings at three in the morning (just ask the poor policemen who were my escort), maybe I wasn't able to solve all the problems, maybe I wasn't able to control everything that was happening behind my back, but I had a constant obsession with the people I had to give answers to. Because when you're involved in politics , and especially when you take on institutional commitments, you can't turn your head the other way , you can't close your eyes because it's not worth seeing. Because this isn't just a mistake, it's a disgrace .”