Degraded conditions, risk of overcrowding, and denied access to cells: this is the critical picture that emerged from a recent visit to the Juvenile Detention Center (IPM) in Quartucciu by a delegation from the Cagliari Criminal Court together with the head of the Ucpi Sardinia Prison Observatory.

The initiative is part of the national project "Restrained in August," promoted annually by the Union of Italian Criminal Chambers to monitor detention conditions during the summer.

According to the complaint filed by lawyers led by Franco Villa, the IPM recently reached 150% overcrowding , with 17 juveniles housed in spaces deemed inadequate. Currently, thanks to recent releases and transfers, the situation appears to have stabilized: there are six minors present—five under pre-trial detention and one under definitive execution—with the arrival of a seventh expected shortly.

The delegation reported persistent structural and management issues, despite the imminent completion of new spaces currently undergoing renovations, scheduled for completion in September. The institute's director accompanied the visitors, illustrating future improvements, but this was not enough to allay their concerns.

Of particular outrage was the delegation's ban on accessing the young detainees' sleeping quarters.

The measure was justified by a circular from the Department of Juvenile and Community Justice dated April 30, 2025.

"This is a serious matter," the lawyers denounce, "which undermines the function of monitoring visits, preventing direct verification of the minors' detention conditions."

The statement released by the Cagliari Criminal Court highlights with concern the "repressive and prison-centric political direction" that is gaining ground in the juvenile penal system, to the detriment of an educational and preventive approach.

A direction that, according to criminal lawyers, clashes with official data showing a reduction in crimes committed by minors between 2022 and 2023.