Detenuti

Detenuti is the Italian term for detainees—persons deprived of liberty by state authority. The concept encompasses individuals held in custody for a range of purposes, from pre-trial detention or police custody to imprisonment following a conviction, and it can include administrative detention or safeguarding measures such as immigration detention. In practice, jurisdictions distinguish between detainees awaiting a decision (pre-trial detention) and convicted prisoners serving sentences, but the precise definitions, durations, and permissible conditions vary widely.

International and regional human rights law set minimum standards governing detention. Detainees must be lawfully detained, and detention must be necessary, proportionate, and subject to periodic review. Core rights include being informed of the charges or reasons for detention, access to legal counsel, prompt access to a judge or independent authority for review, and the ability to communicate with family. Detained persons have the right to humane conditions, adequate food and shelter, medical care, and protection from torture or ill-treatment. Special protections apply to minors and persons with disabilities.

Detention facilities are typically overseen by judicial or administrative authorities, with independent monitors, ombudspersons, or human rights bodies providing oversight. International standards, such as the United Nations Nelson Mandela Rules for the treatment of prisoners and related instruments, guide detention regimes, including classification, work or education opportunities, and rehabilitative programs. Policy debates often focus on overcrowding, long detention durations, and the use of detention as a precautionary measure, prompting discussion of alternatives to detention and safeguards against arbitrariness.