“I’m not here to just say “thank you” for this initiative that brings sport to prison, but I am showing you a concrete plan to be implemented as a team: to use the spaces and environments of the many abandoned barracks throughout the country as sports venues for community of prisoners, to be restructured also thanks to their direct involvement”.
This is the proposal launched by the Minister of Justice, Charles Nordio during the “Sport breaks down barriers” event held this Wednesday at the “Germana Stefanini” women’s prison in Rebibbia in Rome and which gave the official start to the “Prisons” project envisaged by the Social Plan for Sport promoted by All by the Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi, together with the Department for Sport and Sport and Health.
The project, carried out in close synergy with the Departments for Penitentiary Administration and Juvenile and Community Justice, was developed through a public notice, financed for 3 million euros, which saw the candidacy of 116 sports associations and clubs from 19 different Regions, for the realization of activities in 60 adult correctional facilitiesin 13 for minors e in25 reception communities for minors. Almost 10,000 prisoners will be involved in these projects.
The event, together with the Minister of Justice, was attended by the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, the President and Chief Executive Officer of SpA, Vito Cozzoli and the Head of the Penitentiary Administration Department, Giovanni Russo.
“We’re not here for a commercial – said the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi – but to give substance to our commitment which is based on the awareness of sport as a tool for social immune defence. We are proud of this team game because this is how the real fruits are brought in this case for the benefit of the communities of prisoners so that they can face a transitional phase of their lives in the most just way. Article 27 of the Constitution – added Abodi – highlights two terms, “humanity” and “re-education”, both inherent in sport whose right will soon be recognized by the Charter. Today stimuli come from here that reinforce that commitment to “everyone’s sport” which sees us as protagonists and promoters not only in prisons but also in neighborhoods, parks, places of social inclusion, in civic community spaces and playgrounds”.
“In prison, the years to be served are distressing, but it’s the afternoons that never go by. Sport can certainly make a contribution to life. All prisoners have the right to re-education, and within this right there is also the right to sport – highlighted the President and Chief Executive Officer of Sport e Salute SpA, Vito Cozzoli addressing the representation of inmates in the audience -. Public policies cannot stop in front of the armored gates of prisons. Activity in prison is one of the areas that most value the ability of sport to be a tool for the promotion of values, psycho-physical well-being but also for the recovery of fragile subjects placed in difficult contexts. There are already numerous projects, financed with government resources through Sport and Health, and which see various sports federations as protagonists. To these will be added all the projects of the public notice “Sport for all – Prisons”. Training activities for operators and technicians of associations/institutions who will operate in prison will begin next June. For the occasion, we have promoted the first course for “planners and managers of social sport”, which will have a thematic module on sport. Sports activities in prison will begin in September and by the end of 2023 we will issue another 1 million euro notice, addressed to penitentiary institutions, to provide them with equipment for physical and sports activity. In particular – Cozzoli added – here in Rebibbia sport will be the protagonist. There are seven associations, sports clubs and third sector entities that have applied to start sports initiatives in this institution. A sign of the associative vitality and the effective collaboration of the Penitentiary Administration”.
The Head of the Prison Administration Department emphasized the desire for sport in prison, John Russo. “The word Sport is a word of freedom – he said -, but it is also a virtuous means of promoting respect for the rules and regulations, as well as teamwork and the importance of the assist and not just the goal. There are 190 prisons in Italy that carry out sporting activities. I think it is appropriate to systematize this vivacity: I imagine – Russo added – coordination, by Sport and Health, which can lead to an even stronger development and promotion of sport in prison”.
The event, hosted by the Legends of Sport and Health, Massimiliano Rosolini and Anželika Savrajuk, continued with the testimonies of three athletes from the Fiamme Azzurre Sports Group: the Olympians Clemente Russo and Aldo Montano and the captain of Astrea Calcio, Nunzio I quit.
Afterwards, those present experienced a good moment of discussion and dialogue between some of the inmates of the Roman institute and two actors from the successful television series “Mare Fuori”, Giovanna Sannino and Antonio D’Aquino. From the dialogue with the actors, compliments emerged, expressed by the inmates, for having expressed the emotions and feelings of those living in prison.