Carcere e rieducazione: il contributo della pratica teatrale

[Autom. eng. transl.] In Italy, the practice of theater in prison has spread since the 1980s and today enjoys the appreciation of the Ministry of Justice which establishes forms of collaboration with theatrical, cultural and local bodies and stipulates memoranda of understanding in support of theater experiences in many penitentiary institutions. But how does theater fit into the changes that have occurred in the penitentiary system, the evolution of punishment as a historically determined social institution and the concept of treatment and re-education? What role does the penitentiary institution actually recognize for theatre? And what is the actual contribution of theater to the process of humanizing punishment, of opening and exchanging prisons with civil society and the external community? The volume originates from sociological research carried out in 12 Italian prisons. The research aims to highlight gaps and potential, points of convergence and friction between the main actors of the prison (prison staff, with managerial, custodial and pedagogical functions, and inmates) regarding the conception and functions of theatrical activity. By comparing the two different perspectives, it demonstrates how, as a result of the multiple dysfunctionalities and shortcomings of the context, re-education is such that it represents not so much a fully achieved objective, but rather a need to legitimize prison. Although theatrical activity is effective in developing resources and skills and triggering transformative processes in the detained person, so that it can effectively become an integral part of the rehabilitation process, a radical institutional renewal is necessary.