After celebrating Mass with detainees and people who had been in prison, Pope Francis called on governments to mark the end of the Year of Mercy by extending clemency to deserving inmates.
The Pope also called for renewed efforts to ensure justice systems not only punish crimes but also work to give prisoners hope for the future.
Civil authorities must work to improve living conditions for those serving time "so that the human dignity of prisoners may be fully respected," the Pope said during his Sunday Angelus address in St Peter's Square.
