The escape of a 24-year-old Moroccan inmate from a prison in Bolzano, in Italy’s South Tyrol region, has sparked criticism over prison security and the rules governing temporary release permits for inmates.
Italian media reported that the prisoner fled after receiving authorization to leave the facility temporarily to perform community service work for the municipality of Bolzano. Authorities have since issued a search notice to locate the fugitive.
The incident marks the third escape from the Bolzano prison within less than a year. In August, two other Moroccan inmates escaped from the same facility.
One was later arrested in Palermo, while the second was apprehended by French gendarmes in Sainte-Agnès in September.
The repeated incidents have drawn criticism from regional and local officials. Sven Knoll, a member of the regional parliament representing the South Tyrolean Freedom party, questioned how a prisoner granted temporary leave could escape for the third time in just a few months.
“This is a scandal and a danger to residents,” Knoll said in media statements, calling for a reassessment of policies allowing inmates temporary release from prison.
He argued that such permits should only be granted under strict supervision, suggesting the mandatory use of electronic ankle monitors when inmates leave prison facilities.
Knoll also called for tougher measures for foreign offenders, stating that those who commit crimes while in Italy should be deported rather than benefiting from reintegration programs.
“Bolzano prison is not a hotel where someone can come and go as they please,” he said, adding that repeated escapes demonstrate failures in the current system.
Authorities have not yet released additional details about the ongoing search for the escaped inmate.
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