In many countries the pandemic brought the spotlight to an already known fragile environment: the prison system. The impact of the virus in the Italian prisons exposed the neglect that this population face on daily basis and which is enhanced during these difficult times. At the beginning of the pandemic the prisoners were put in total isolation to slow down the spread of the virus, Many inmates did not understand what was happening, and the abrupt interruption of contact with family members had an explosive impact causing various riots.

In Italy, the only authorized people not employed by the Ministry of Justice to enter prisons are the municipal guarantors.  Alessandro Prandi is the municipal guarantor of the rights of prisoners in the Alba prison. He meets prisoners trying to understand their situation, giving them voice and defending their rights (with a special attention to the situation of sick or elderly prisoners). One important change was the possibility of calls via videoconference. A simple solution, which allowed not only to dissolve tensions, but to expand the possibility to reconnect with distant family members who could not go to prison. The hope is that this measure will not be just an emergency solution but that it will become the practice, as an alternative to face-to-face interviews.

Learn more about the initiative at: https://www.alessandroprandi.it/post/il-carcere-dopo-la-pandemia-fase-2-o-anno-zero