Nordio and Pinelli on youth violence: “Re-education is necessary”

“It is extremely important – I would go so far as to say essential – especially at this moment in history, to take into account the processes of rehabilitation and realisation of their mistakes on the part of young prisoners. According to this new social perspective, they find redemption in the three fundamental pillars of the family, school and society.” This was stated by the Minister of Justice, Carlo Nordio, speaking today at the presentation of the study “#Introspezioni vol. II – Costruire il futuro in un mondo che cambia”. The event was organised by the Ministry of Justice, specifically by the Minister’s Chief of Staff, Gippy Rubinetti, in collaboration with the Lottomatica Foundation and the Francesca Rava Foundation, and curated by SWG and Cuntura. The survey reveals some interesting findings.

For Italians, the purpose of punishment for a minor goes beyond a purely punitive approach or public safety considerations: its main aim should be to make the minor understand the seriousness of their mistake (51 per cent of respondents) and to help them change and improve as a person (38 per cent), through study, work and relationships. A solid majority (58 per cent) say they are confident that a young person who has committed a crime can change. Furthermore, great importance is attached to the support services provided by the justice system in preventing reoffending.

“The figures paint a picture of a community that believes in the rehabilitation of young people and the possibility of a second chance, but which also demands safety and accountability,” said the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, Andrea Ostellari. “Encouraging figures that offer hope,” said Rocco Maruotti, Secretary-General of the ANM, whilst the Head of the Juvenile Justice Department, Antonio Sangermano, emphasised how topical the issue of juvenile violence is: “From 2017 to the present day, admissions to juvenile detention centres have risen steadily, with an exponential increase in the number of foreign nationals. This is a problem we must acknowledge.” For the Vice-President of the High Council of the Judiciary (CSM), Fabio Pinelli, when it comes to youth crime, “we must avoid two opposing risks: downplaying the seriousness of the issue or failing to grasp its complexity. We must not be misled, on the one hand, by the illusion of permissiveness and, on the other, by the illusion of repression.” “Behind the legal category of the ‘minor’,” he pointed out, “there is a person still in the process of development”; for this reason, “the deprivation of liberty, when necessary, cannot be limited to its punitive aspect”. Consequently, Pinelli explained, “the response to juvenile deviance should not be limited to curbing behaviour by enforcing prohibitions or stigmatising rule-breaking, but should accompany a young person in building a different future”. It is therefore necessary “to educate, not to justify; in other words, to ask a young person to confront what they have done, the consequences of their actions and, where possible, the suffering caused. To ensure that responsibility is not merely endured through punishment, but can be progressively understood and accepted”, concluded Pinelli.