CAEC- LIBERTY AND JUSTICE – Festival of Rights: opening meeting Round table about prisons and Restorative Justice

: The opening  meeting of the Festival took place at the Romani secondary school in Casalmaggiore. Teachers and students gathered in the school auditorium on the evening of Thursday, November 14, to hear from five experts who daily deal with the realities of life behind bars. The speakers included Rossella Padula, Director of the Cremona Prison; Marzia Tosi and Laura Gagliardi from the “Carcere e Territorio” Association of Brescia; Francesca Salucci from the Bessimo Cooperative; and Mara Sperati from the Nazareth Cooperative. The event was organized and presented by Sara Pisani, President of the Casalmaggiore Acli Club and a RE teacher at the Romani School.

The reality of prisons is often perceived as distant, and opportunities to discuss it while challenging stereotypes are rare. This made the opportunity to address the topic in a school setting particularly valuable. The speakers outlined the initiatives their organizations carry out in prisons and communities to help inmates reconnect with the social fabric they were separated from, often due to a moment of weakness or a single act.

Education and Rehabilitation: A Shared Goal"Schools and prisons often collaborate," explained Rossella Padula, referring to projects, often sports-related, that bring students and inmates together. "This collaboration highlights that, like education, rehabilitation is a shared societal value." She added, "Punishment must never be inhumane because the guiding principle for prison staff and associations is trust in people and their capacity for redemption."

Associations for Redemption and Social Reintegration The organizations mentioned by Padula are dedicated to inmate rehabilitation. The “Carcere e Territorio” Association of Brescia works alongside the UEPE (Office of External Penal Execution) to offer alternative sentencing for eligible individuals. "There are alternative measures to prison that involve the community," said Marzia Tosi. "We believe that a crime is just a behavior, not the entirety of a person. That’s why we focus on recovery and responsibility, fostering social cohesion. For minor offenses, during the trial phase, eligible defendants can have their process ‘frozen’ and be placed on probation, fulfilling certain obligations to prove their responsibility as citizens.» Psychologist Laura Gagliardi added, "Our association focuses more on restorative culture than restorative justice. It’s a broader concept aimed at mending the social contract broken by a crime. This approach reintegrates individuals into society as full members rather than relegating them to second-class citizenship." One initiative that embodies this idea is “A Friend Behind Bars,” a project where inmates exchange letters with students. The students ask questions, and the inmate shares their experiences, making the initiative both educational and preventive.

Changing Perspectives on Inmates Francesca Salucci encouraged students to view inmates differently. "Before being an inmate, a person is a father, a son, a brother, or a worker—they are not just a criminal." She highlighted the Bessimo Cooperative’s Restart Project, which marked its second anniversary that Thursday. The project supports inmates in building new lives not only during incarceration but also after their release. "We can’t simply abandon people once they’ve served their sentence," Salucci explained. "After release, it’s crucial to provide a path back to society, including finding work and housing."

The Importance of ConnectionMara Sperati of the Nazareth Cooperative emphasized the importance of connection: "The key is meeting people. Establishing a shared sense of purpose allows individuals to envision a different life after release—a life shaped by the awareness that something was broken before." She added, "We encourage inmates to rethink and reimagine who they want to become once they leave prison."