Prison is a World of Paper: Guarini Institute Welcomes Authors Valentina Calderone and Marica Fantauzzi
On October 23, the Guarini Institute for Public Affairs welcomed authors Valentina Calderone and Marica Fantauzzi, for a presentation of their book Il carcere è un mondo di carta (Prison is a World of Paper, Momo Edizioni, 2024). The event was co-sponsored by the Departments of Psychological and Social Sciences, Modern Languages and Literature, and Political Science and International Affairs.
After a welcome by Guarini Institute Director Professor Federigo Argentieri, JCU Sociology and Italian Studies professor Isabella Clough Marinaro introduced the authors and said, “This book, designed for young adults, comes across as simple, but it’s really not because it builds up an amazingly subtle and delicate argument about how things could be done differently, and it reminds us repeatedly of what the Italian Constitution says is the purpose of prison, which is not revenge and suffering, but rather rehabilitating inmates so that they don’t repeat their offenses. The book also keeps reminding us of how few of the rights that Italian laws say prisoners should have, are actually respected in the prison system.”
Structured as an “ABC” book and illustrated by Ginevra Vacalebre, the text uses keywords to illustrate the experience of incarceration and challenge the stigmas about imprisonment. Calderone and Fantauzzi discussed how prison is fundamentally understood by society and how educating the population on the daily struggles that inmates face is the first step to destigmatizing the notion of incarceration. Their book encourages readers to critically examine their perception of prison and criminality.
Additionally, the speakers addressed the harsh realities of the Italian prison system, emphasizing issues such as lack of resources, overcrowding, and inmate suicide. They highlighted how the prison system often fails to uphold prisoners’ basic right to re-education, despite this being a constitutional right in Italy. Rather than being a safe space for rehabilitation, prisons disproportionally house the most vulnerable populations without addressing the core root of their problems. These patterns reflect a broader issue where prisons have become interim detainment centers for people marginalized by economic and social instability.
The authors advocate for alternative methods to incarceration in order to restore justice to Italy’s neediest populations, such as the poor, the mentally ill, and immigrants. While other European countries have begun reforming their prison systems to reflect a higher sense of awareness around the notion of rehabilitation and social support, Italy falls behind in many of these regards. The authors suggest that Italy can curb recidivism and enhance integration by utilizing alternative methods to incarceration. The discussion concluded by inviting readers and young people to critically investigate the stereotypes surrounding imprisonment, and to imagine a world where incarceration is not the default recommendation for punishment and re-education. The authors hope with their message of advocating for alternative forms of rehabilitation that we will see an eventual shift towards a justice system that is rooted in motivational change and empathy, not punishment and isolation.
About the authors
Valentina Calderone, Guarantor for the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty of the city of Rome, was the director of A Buon Diritto, an NGO dedicated to prisoners’ rights, for 10 years and worked for the Human Rights Commission of the Italian Senate. She is the co-author of the books Abolire il carcere (Chiarelettere 2015) and Quando hanno aperto la cella (Il Saggiatore 2011).
Marica Fantauzzi is a human rights researcher for A Buon Diritto and has written for Italian newspapers such as Il manifesto, La Repubblica, and Il Dubbio, particularly focusing on incarcerated women and juveniles, and the conditions of Roma camps in Italy. For Arpjtetto Ets she coordinates initiatives for minors facing alternative sentencing penalties. She is also one of the editors of the independent Roman news podcast Sveja.
(Rori Sebach)
