Francesca Pascale visits an institute for detained mothers in the Avellino area

Francesca Pascale today visited the low-security facility for detained mothers in Lauro, in the province of Avellino. This facility, a separate unit of the Avellino prison, currently houses five women and six children.

In the company of Samuele Donut, Campania guarantor of prisoners, Pascale was able to observe the living conditions of the prisoners and the common spaces.

At the end of the visit, she expressed her concern: "It is unacceptable that children spend their childhood in prison. The staff does their best to create social spaces for mothers and play areas for children, but the structural conditions of ICAMs in Italy are often inadequate.

There is often a lack of an adequate environment for the psychophysical development of children and educational support that allows them to develop external relationships.

Pascale also criticized some recent regulations, such as those contained in the security decree: "The elimination of mandatory deferred sentencing for pregnant women or women with young children is a serious step backwards for the protection of motherhood and childhood," she stated, supporting Forza Italia's proposal for an investigation into the Italian prison system.

Samuele Ciambriello highlighted another problem: "In the Lauro Institute, there are many male prison officers, 17, compared to only 6 women." He then added: "Locking up pregnant women and mothers with their children, even very young ones, is an inhumane decision that affects the most innocent.

Despite the mobilization, Article 15 of the security bill, which eliminates the alternative to prison for pregnant women or those with children under one year old, was approved by the Chamber of Deputies. It is now being debated in the Senate, but I fear nothing will change. This provision not only ignores the teachings of the Constitutional Court but also contradicts the Rocco Code.