Several inmates at a jail in Milan have climbed onto the roof, while others have escaped from a prison in southern Italy.
"There have been a series of rebellions across the country", said Francesco Basentini, the head of Italy's prison administration.
Fires have been set at a number of prisons, causing severe damage, and video shown on Italian television showed police and fire trucks outside the jail as black smoke swirled into the sky.The justice ministry said guards union Sappe claim two guards had been taken hostage in the northern city of Pavia and were released after a police raid.
Modena and Pavia are within the red zone that the government has established to limit the spread of the deadly disease. On Monday, inmates climbed onto the roof of the San Vittore prison in Milan and shouted"Liberta" - meaning"freedom" - and held up signs that read"Indulto," - Italian for pardon.The Italian government has been accused of abandoning the prison system, refusing to provide sufficient measures to prevent the spread of the virus among inmates and leaving guards on their own to deal with prisoners who could now only speak to relatives by phone or Skype.
Donato Capece, secretary general of the penitentiary police union, told The Associated Press:"The administration is completely absent.
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