Vincenzo, 34 years old, father of three children, originally from Napoli, is serving his sentence in Poggioreale prison. Although he has never had a real job, he hopes to one day find stable employment in his hometown, close to his family.
“I am a person who has made mistakes”, admits Vincenzo, starting his story while a job training project is being presented in the prison. Together with 15 other inmates, Vincenzo is taking a course to become a pizza chef.
“The food is wonderful”, says Vincenzo. “I never thought I could make a pizza. It’s like a beautiful woman: it requires delicacy, otherwise the dough slips away.”
The project “Brigata Caterina – Pizzeria and Pizza Chefs” It is not limited to cooking techniques. The students also took lessons in reading and philosophy. “It was a course of life”, explains Vincenzo. “I met different people who made me smile even in difficult moments. In here, there are many difficult days”.
Vincenzo looks to the future and hopes to use his qualification in prison, as required by the law on the penitentiary system, and perhaps even after serving his sentence.
Today, on the occasion of International Families Day, Vincenzo and his classmates served their creations to their loved ones. “It's amazing to be able to be with my family and let them taste my pizza”, says Giovanni, 31 years old, father of a child.
“Giving prisoners the opportunity to enjoy moments of freedom is essential”, says Giovanni. “If there were more work placement projects, perhaps fewer people would make mistakes, even small ones. And perhaps there wouldn’t be so much overcrowding anymore. Here in Poggioreale there is unease and bad mood. With a path like this, we remember that there is another world out there, there is life”.
Article published on May 16, 2024 - 16:32 pm
