Italian
Restoring dignity, promoting rehabilitation, and preparing for social reintegration: these were the themes at the heart of the first meeting of 2026 organized by the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation (FCAPP), hosted by the Venice and Treviso group in the Ca’ Brittoni Hall of the Cassamarca Foundation.
TREVISO. The event, dedicated to prison, restorative justice, and the dignity of punishment, brought together judges, prison sector operators, ecclesiastical representatives, and scholars to discuss concrete pathways for reintegration for those who have served a prison sentence.
Among the protagonists was Father Gianni Fusco, a priest and teacher, an expert in canon criminal law, who spoke about the importance of an approach that puts the person at the center, rather than the mere fulfillment of the penalty.
“When we talk about prison,” Fusco explained, “we are talking about people who have committed a crime and must pay a debt to society. But we cannot stop there. Reintegration is an anthropological need: it means supporting the person to return to the community after understanding the mistake and rebuilding themselves.”
The priest outlined the steps of this journey: “Re-education is not just about learning rules or procedures; it is about deeply understanding the harm that has been done, restructuring one’s personality, and opening up to different paths, those of good and reconciliation.” Only in this way, according to Fusco, can reintegration be credible and lasting.
Fundamental, he added, is a differentiated approach: “Within a family, the children are the same, but not all need the same type of intervention. The same applies in prison. One cannot treat in the same way someone who made a mistake in a moment of fragility and someone with a deep-rooted criminal background.” Attention to personal stories, the severity of the crime, and the sensitivity of the inmate thus becomes an essential condition for designing effective reintegration pathways.
Don Fusco also emphasized the role of society and institutions in ensuring a safe and dignified return for inmates: “Reintegration is not solely the responsibility of the prison. The community, institutions, and those working in social services must support these individuals, preventing isolation and marginalization from fueling recidivism.”
The central message of his speech is clear: “Prison and punishment make sense only if they prepare for reintegration and reconciliation. Without a path of rehabilitation and a human approach, the risk is to perpetuate exclusion instead of building responsible citizens.”
The meeting of the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation has thus renewed the cultural and social challenge of rethinking prison not just as a place of punishment, but as a space for growth and recovery, where reintegration is not an option, but a right of the inmate and a responsibility of society.
