Persone “difficili”, educazione difficile. In dialogo con il contributo di Piero Bertolini nel lavoro educativo della giustizia

The contribution resumes the conversation with work of Piero Bertolini – educator, pedagogist, di-rector of the Institute for Observation and Preventive Custody “C. Beccaria” in Milan (1958-1968)– in relation to old and new deviances. In the footsteps of his experiences and reflections, we try toinvestigate the re-educational paths of “difficult” subjects, outside and inside prison, grappling withthe fundamental pedagogical question (what is the desired and legitimate margin of educational inter-vention?), at one of the most critical junctures for the subject in formation (in the conflict that he isexperiencing with the world, with the other and with himself?). Can there be an educational orienta-tion of punishment in the penal experience? How to curb the risk that educating intent on punishingprofoundly mutates its meaning, to the point of transfiguring itself into violence? How to interpretthat obstinacy to seek and to trigger growth in the difficult situations? What directions of meaningindicated by Bertolini need to be taken up, known and actualized in the care of difficult subjects? Thehypothesis is that there is a margin for educating in punishment: it is the responsibility of those whopedagogically interpret criminal events to seize and cultivate it.