ABSTRACT
In Italy, the notion of prisoners’ resettlement is enshrined in art. 27 of the Constitution, calling for the punishment of offenders to focus on their re-education, which is interpreted in a wide holistic sense, thus encompassing the concept of offenders’ reintegration into civil society. Different strategies have been implemented by the State, so that offenders can be reintegrated into society, but the role of the voluntary sector is still pivotal when supporting prisoners’ resettlement. Namely we have education and work as the key catalysts to implement prisoners’ resettlement; however, there are many hurdles linked to lack of employment opportunities both inside and outside the prison establishment for offenders and ex-offenders. To reflect the composition of the prison population in Italy, matters are even more complex when dealing with the resettlement of foreign national prisoners.
