For those who follow alternative measures to prison, the risk of reoffending is lower, but in Florence the facilities and places are few. “It is necessary to increase responses and places available for alternative measures to detention” is the request that comes from the conference “Prison and restorative justice – An ongoing reform process. Where are we at in Tuscany?”, promoted by Department of Legal Sciences of the University of Florence and from School of Law with Solidarity Foundation Caritas Florence and Casa Accoglienza Il Samaritano.
Operators, jurists, university professors, educators, magistrates, institutions and all those who deal with prison and restorative justice on a daily basis gathered in the structure in via Corelli in Florence managed by the Caritas Solidarity Foundation, for a discussion on how the Reform Cartabia has significantly intervened on the institutions, in particular on how it has implemented the hypotheses of mediation in criminal matters, on the aim of achieving amicable agreements also producing effects on the sanctioning treatment and on the introduction of the list of expert mediators.
The regional councilor for social policies, public housing and international cooperation also spoke at the conference Serena Spinelli and the municipal councilor for education, welfare and immigration Sara Funaro. Don Gherardo Gambelliwho will be ordained archbishop of Florence on June 24th, unable to be present, sent a video message.
“Certified studies – he says Vincenzo Lucchetti, President of the Caritas Solidarity Foundation of Florence – have shown that, at a national level, the percentage of recidivism among prisoners who undertake alternative paths is equal to 2%. For those serving their sentence in prison until the last day of detention, 70%. Why not invest more in structures?”. The Municipality of Florence provides the service through the Casa Il Samaritano, a male residential reception center for adults managed by the Caritas Solidarity Foundation and which has fourteen beds for people in Alternative Measure to Detention (MAD), plus another four for the so-called ” permit holders”, those who benefit from a reward permit to temporarily leave prison. Entry applications are evaluated monthly by the Detention Area Coordination, which includes Il Samaritano, the CIAO Association and an assistant from the Social Service of the Municipality of Florence.
“The places available – continues President Lucchetti – are few if we consider that the inmates of the Sollicciano prison are six hundred men, fifty women, plus another ninety people who are in the Mario Gozzini penitentiary institute. For prisoners and former prisoners, the lack of accommodation, in addition to representing a personal and social hardship, often turns into a real impediment to the enjoyment of a right”.
The guests of the Il Samaritano house are accompanied by a team of educators and, weekly, by a psychologist. “We follow the person 360 degrees – he explains Alina Cristina Tamas, head of the center and justice area of the Caritas Solidarity Foundation – starting from listening and welcoming. The support ranges from the recovery of the necessary documents, to orientation and job training, to the resumption of contact with family members, to the creation of paths with the Ser.D and, where necessary, with the Mental Health Centre. Some guests are involved in selling the street newspaper Scarp de Tenis in the parishes with the aim of acquiring dignity and a healthy resumption of contact with the territory. The next objective is to activate the same structure dedicated to welcoming women which, at the moment, is completely lacking in Florence”.
Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas Firenze, in addition to residential services, has a Map – Lpu (Public Utility Works) desk which has been used by ninety-five people currently in care and one hundred and twenty on the waiting list.
Source: Press Office
