1/26/2024 0 Comments Planet nomads blueprint![]() Sign up for EUobserver’s daily newsletterĪll the stories we publish, sent at 7.30 AM.īy signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Italy had many prison islands back then but across time, particularly after the second world war, they were all shut and these two are the only two historical ones still functioning, and were turned in the 1960s into 'soft' rehabilitation centres. Pianosa and neighbouring Gorgona islands were set up in the late 1800s by Italy's king as distant places of detention, where the worst criminals could be well isolated, in the middle of the sea. Now when I look ahead, the gloom is gone", says Giuseppe. "I'm doing an incredible progress on my inner self and in communicating with fellow inmates, and also interacting with clients has filled me with hope for a better future. He attended cooking lessons at Volterra's prison before being selected for Pianosa's rehab project and is grateful for this lucky opportunity to start a new life. I like helping them because I know exactly what they're going through and how tough it can be", says Franco.įor the last three years Giuseppe is a 55-year-old hotel chef-convict, who enjoys cooking Neapolitan and Tuscan pasta and fish meals for guests. ![]() "It totally changed my life, thanks to my cleansing experience on Pianosa I now have a full-time job at a jail on the nearby Elba island where I help and support prisoners in facing everyday challenges of living behind bars. From murderer to counsellorįranco (his full name cannot be disclosed) was convicted for murder and spent the last five years of his detention working at the hotel as a 'team leader' to the other convicts. The hotel staff are all paid around €1,000 per month, which incentivises them to look ahead with hope. "The key to a jail door should never be thrown away, and we have seen how beneficial the supervised detention is relapse into crime is down to 0.01 percent for inmates at Hotel Pianosa", adds Manca. At the hotel they can serve up to the remaining part of their term. Manca is aware that even though these convicts "haven't just stolen apples or daisies nor committed petty offences", they should be given the opportunity to recycle their lives. The first bad thing they do, they go back to jail", says Giulia Manca, runner of the hotel and a member of Arnera Association that co-handles the rehab project with Tuscany's prison authorities. They have already served at least one third of their term behind bars and are now on probation. "They've been convicted for serious crimes but have passed psychological tests to ascertian they're no longer dangerous and willing to undergo a rehab project. Some cook meals and prepare breakfasts, others work as waiters, dishwashers and gardeners. Six supervised convicts are employed at Hotel Milena, the island's only accommodation structure, where they run the visitors' facilities including cleaning the 11 rooms, running the beach bar and restaurant, and keeping the patio clean. They also mingle with visitors and locals. On Pianosa offenders spend days out in the open air, working and learning new skills for when they'll return to society. It is very likely that the centre-right ruling coalition will adopt improvements in Italy's jail system, particularly due to pressures from the key League party ally that has always supported such reform. "The detainee must be helped in his recovery path" or "at least not to make him worse than when he entered jail", said Nordio.įor Nordio, a lot can be done by enhancing sports and work activities for inmates. "Above all, we don't want cruel and inhumane prisons that would be against the Italian constitution and Christian principles", he said. Talking at an university conference last week in Rome, Nordio said "jail-system reforming is my top priority, sentences should not be served only behind bars and new less harsh prisons must be built, while improving those already existing".Įven though so far no specific plans have yet been defined on how to do this by the rightist government just sworn into office, Nordio, a former judge, added that the ruling government's programme includes an upgrading of jails to improve inmates conditions. The newly-appointed justice minister Carlo Nordio has pledged to boost alternative non-jail penalties and jobs to rehabilitate prisoners. The paradise-like prison islands of Pianosa and Gorgona, part of Tuscany's pristine archipelago marine park, stand out as unique rehab models. The beautiful prison island of Pianosa (Photo: Giulia Manca).
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