The city council visits the prison of Monza and the testimonies of the members of the Vimercate assembly wanted to tell this experience defined as touching, emotionally strong and significant. On Wednesday afternoon 26 June, a press conference was called for the occasion where the president of the parliament took care of doing the honours. Davide Nicolussi who explained how:“It all started when a few months ago a motion was presented regarding the conditions in which Ilaria Salis was being held in prison (in Budapest, ed.) and so, on the mayor’s proposal, we thought it was appropriate to see how a prison works up close.”. In fact the prison is overcrowded like many other penal institutions. In via Sanquirico on a space that can accommodate up to 411 prisoners actually have 699 prisoners living there.
The council of Vimercate visits the prison and the testimony of the councilors
“It’s impressive how today I had the opportunity to shake hands with people I can meet even on the street with their own stories and situations. – continued Nicolussi – and you understand how these people are first and foremost citizens who belong to society.” The councilors are also on the same line of thought Susi Rovai, Matteo Trassini, Daniele Dossi, Federica Villa and Guido Fumagalli who reiterated as “in prison there are also people in pretrial detention still awaiting a first judgment, as if behind every prisoner there is a story and the hope of freedom. These are individuals who deserve the dignity that must be maintained and respected even if they are behind bars”. It was also not missed an appeal to politics to try to improve the conditions in which both prisoners and the prison police live, as well as increasingly encouraging re-education paths.
The council of Vimercate visits the prison and the words of D’Elia
During the meeting a Trotti Palace the association also intervened Hands Off Cain with Sergio D’Elia who underlined that the staff is also understaffed. “There should be 296 agents but instead there are 277 – said D’Elia -. TAmong the most important data, 382 prisoners are followed by the health service because they are fragile or dependent on drug use. There are 511 prisoners who have already been sentenced and the others have not. Today you who participated in this visit are different people and I am happy because it is the first time that we have managed to bring a municipal council to the prison of Monza”.
Satisfied also Raffaele Marassi member of the Monza Bar Council for this tour of the councilors in via Sanquirico “where we recently also brought 50 high school kids, who initially thought it was a trip then realized they were also dealing with kids of their age”. In fact about 20% of prisoners are under the age of 25. “I think visiting a prison – concluded the mayor Francesco Cereda – for those involved in politics at all levels it is also useful for being able to act and, if possible, legislate. Thank you all for taking part in this experience.”
