Breaking down prejudices, this was one of the greatest achievements of the educational project which involved fourteen final year students of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) of the Collegio Pio The path brought the young people into contact and dialogue with the students of the Treviso prison school. At first, the project leaders, the professor of Religious Studies, Don Stefano Grespanfor Pius Samuela Barbieri, literature teacher for the prison school managed by Cpia Manzi, each worked with their own group of students. Both classes tried to discuss the theme of “School” and the possibilities that this can open up for everyone’s future.
From the reflections that emerged, written works were born, which were shared between the students of the two schools. The students of Pius Don Pietro Zardo. The reflection and training courses were followed by a meeting between the Pius
“The educational project – explains the coordinator of the IBDP, Moreno Caronello – has the aim of raising awareness among young students of respect for detained people and knowledge of the prison context, also encouraging the diffusion of a culture of legality, appreciating and valorising the positive paths that are applied within the detention facility to encourage reintegration into society. At the same time, there was a desire to promote a cultural exchange and experiences between the students of the two institutes”.
“It was an honest and sincere discussion in which everyone laid themselves bare and told about themselves – explains Professor Barbieri, coordinator of the school in prison, who worked closely with her colleague Elena Angelini –. Many prejudices have been undermined, on both sides. It was an intense morning, the students of the prison couldn’t wait to meet the boys of Pius comes from difficult economic and social contexts. In the same way, the young people of Pius If the “outside” students are from seventeen to eighteen years old, the “inside” ones, however, are twenty years old and above, but the school, thanks to this project, has become their common denominator, opening up opportunities for exchange and dialogue.
“We realized that the idea we had of the detained people did not correspond to reality – says one of the students of the last year of the International –. We imagined them as in the American TV series, with orange overalls, but instead they have no uniform. The people we spoke to, after many mistakes, decided to attend school and build a different future, but they also told us about those who, in prison, do not attend school, and do nothing to change their situation. Thus we understood better why so many prisoners are repeat offenders.” “With this project we went beyond what we are used to – specifies another student –, we went beyond stereotypes, we met people, with their stories and experiences. We realized that they are committing themselves to a path that will make their reintegration into society possible. We have understood how much people in prison need to maintain connections with the outside world to which, sooner or later, they will return. We always hear about prison for episodes of news and violence, but instead they talked to us about their life outside, about their families, this changed our point of view. This is why I believe that the project in which we participated is important and must continue.”
