There are 60,439 prisoners present in Italian prisons as of 30 April 2019.
Who works in prison?
Firstly, prison officers, which are less than expected but more than almost all European countries. But there is also a shortage of civilian personnel, especially between directors and deputy directors. Italy always remains very low, settling at around 1.9, almost an officer for every 2 inmates.
Legal-pedagogical officials, commonly referred to as educators, have the responsibility of providing personalized support to individual prisoners. They also coordinate observation and implementation of tailored treatment plans. The Observatory of Antigone reports that the inmate/teacher ratio averages 78/1, but with noticeable variations between prisons.
Reports of inadequate assistance, long waiting times, and ineffective psychiatric therapies prompted the need for specific monitoring. This monitoring is conducted by specialized health personnel to improve the quality of care.
These data they tell us little about the «quality» of the levels of assistance offered, but they are nonetheless significant. Insufficient mental health intervention risks burdening other figures in prison, such as educators, security personnel, and inmates.
Looking for a job
Vocational training declined, work mostly for prison, but not enough for everyone. Prisoners who work for companies in prison or external cooperatives are very few.
The amount of inmates participating in vocational training courses is a figure in constant decline. Reached its peak after the pardon of 2006, involving in 2008 in a semester 8.34% of those present.
The number of resources for vocational training in prisons has been decreasing due to progressive cuts by the Prison Administration and regions.
Women, not just numbers Italians, the workers were 17,614, of which 6,373 were foreigners and 809 women.
This data records the first – albeit slight – decline after a constant increase in the historical series of the surveys which, since the beginning of the nineties, have substantially seen progressively increase the number of prisoners employed in work activities. Work is therefore little, certainly not enough for everyone, and for many prisoners it is impossible to send some money home. It’s hard to even survive in a way dignified.
Women, not just numbers
Italians, the workers were 17,614, of which 6,373 were foreigners and 809 women.
This data records the first – albeit slight – decline after a constant increase in the historical series of the surveys which, since the beginning of the nineties, have substantially seen progressively increase the number of prisoners employed in work activities.
Work is therefore little, certainly not enough for everyone, and for many prisoners it is impossible to send some money home. It’s hard to even survive in a way dignified.
School in prison
Increase the number of students enrolled in school and promoted. And the number of subscribers is also increasing at the University. In the «prison school» the percentage of foreigners is decidedly higher than that of the prison population. They were 50.38% in the 2017-2018 school year, against a presence that has been around 30% for some time now.
Clearly as one moves up from the lower levels of education to those the higher the absolute numbers, and also the percentage of foreigners, go down significantly. From this point of view, the situation is not bad for those in Rebibbia. There, one can choose between different training courses, including agricultural, art, and technical courses. Additionally, various recreational activities are also available such as theater, volleyball, fitness, marathon, writing, cinema, Buddhism, music therapy, classical music and choir, nursery gardening, youth psychological support project adults, Yoga, religious activities, and Shiatsu, territorial support. In recent years the overcrowding rate, as of last March 31, has touched the threshold of 119.9%.
Italy represents an almost unique case in Europe with the majority of prisoners. Discipline changes of prison work and the introduction of the works of public utility The reform does not overturn the discipline formerly in force, but introduces some important innovations.
The most controversial, however, is that of the works of public utility. «Prisoner work is undoubtedly a central theme in an execution system of criminal law aimed at facilitating the reintegration of the convicted person.
It’s in this one perspective that it is necessary to promote vocational training courses, bring the work of small, medium and large companies into the Institutes through tax incentives, support outside work through application of alternative measures, support the activities of social cooperatives inside and outside the Institutes».
Numbers and statistic
Italians, the workers were 17,614, of which 6,373 were foreigners and 809 women. Of the detainees employed, 15,228 are employed by the Administration prison and 2,386 employed by other workers.
Antigone Observatory found 17 prisons with no non-administrative staff, during their 2018 visits.. Antigone’s observations found 4.7% of prisoners in professional training and 27.2% of people in school courses.
The Jail House of Chiavari has a record figure of 44.2% of prisoners involved in professional training courses. However, in 31 institutes, equivalent to 36.5% of the total, there are no professional training courses at all. Such augmentation appears to have been entrusted solely to the new discipline of public utility work. The prioritization of “security needs” over prisoner re-education and reintegration principles deserves highlighting once again.
In a society with high unemployment rates, including among prisoners, the Italian National Social Security Institute (INPS) has decided that inmates employed within the penitentiary system are not eligible for the NASpI unemployment benefit during periods of inactivity. The reasoning is that this benefit is only available to those working for external employers contracted by the prison administration. This decision creates a paradox as these workers are still required to pay contributions but are not entitled to unemployment compensation in the event of dismissal.
Not just inmates: who works in ours prisons?
More than 35% of the prison population is in prison for violation of the drug law. Prison policemen are the most present professional figures in Italian prisons. As known, they are called to guarantee order and the safety of penal institutions. They ensure the execution of the measures restrictive of personal freedom aimed at the detained population and participate in the activities of observation and rehabilitative treatment of prisoners and internees.
These data give us an idea of a prison conceived by the legislator himself as a place crowded with policemen, dedicated mainly to the containment of deviance. Legal-pedagogical officials, commonly called educators, are the figures professionals who are responsible for support interventions dedicated to individual prisoners. They are called to coordinate the activities related to the observation and the implementation of individualized treatment plans.
The article of law 17 allows entry into prison to those who have a concrete interest in the work of resocialization of prisoners. These individuals must demonstrate that they can usefully promote the development of contacts between the prison community and free society. In any case, the presence of volunteers inside prisons remains a precious one resource, both for the prison population and for the staff and within it vi work.
The crucial role of cultural mediators in supporting foreign prisoners in Italian prisons
Cultural mediators have a critical role in supporting foreign prisoners, which extends beyond mere translation to include broader activities. Mediators should help prisoners understand their rights, act as a liaison between them and prison operators, and raise awareness about their conditions.
However, due to the limited number of cultural mediators in Italian prisons, their work is often restricted to just linguistic translation. This results in limited awareness among foreign prisoners, hindering their access to rights and their relationship with prison operators. Moreover, only a few cultural mediators also cover the role of prison director.
The Observatory of Antigone’s data shows that more than 30% of visited institutions lack a dedicated director, with many directors serving in multiple prisons, which questions the quality of their work. The professional culture of surveillance staff focuses on containment rather than social reintegration activities.
The incredible imbalance between personnel in uniform and those devoted to social reintegration activities continues to amaze, despite organic plans acknowledging it. Social reintegration activities would be almost entirely abandoned if it weren’t for volunteers who collaborate with prisons. However, delegating the constitutional mandate of prisons to volunteers makes social reintegration activities optional or superfluous, which is unacceptable. There are 796 university students in prison enrolled in 30 universities.
The right to university study “on paper”
As with every aspect of prison life, there are rules which, “on paper” state among the rights of prisoners also that of pursuing studies, at different levels, therefore also university.
431 which dedicates to university studies two articles in which the principle is reaffirmed of the facilitation for the completion of studies through “opportune agreements with the academic authorities to allow students to take advantage of each possible help and to take exams” and it is stated that students can be released from work, at their request, and that they are reimbursed expenses incurred for taxes, tuition fees and textbooks and comes paid “a performance bonus to the extent established by the Ministry”.
Students may be allowed to keep in the own room and in other study rooms, books, publications, and all tools necessary for their study.
Once out of prison, will a prisoner really have job opportunities to reintegrate into society?
Can prison give the necessary tools to be able to start a new life?
References:
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documents https://www.antigone.it/
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