Severe heatwaves sweeping Europe in August 2026 are deepening a chronic prison overcrowding crisis across France, Italy and Belgium, where facilities are operating far beyond capacity with inmates suffering dehydration and illness in extreme temperatures.
In France, where prisons averaged 141.3% occupancy in July and temperatures exceeded 40 °C, inmate complaints surged during June's heatwave and one prisoner fainted at Limoges on July 8. More than 7,500 inmates were sleeping on floor mattresses as recently as May. Italy's prisons held nearly 140% of capacity, with conditions deteriorating sharply: at Milan's Opera prison, the Red Cross distributed over 600 water bottles after taps ran dry, while inmates at Bancali slept on floor mattresses to cool down. Italy's justice ministry allocated €800,000 for fans and refrigerators and pledged 10,000 new prison places by year's end. Belgium, at 121% occupancy, saw Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden extend emergency heat measures through September.