Naples – Social reintegration, legality, and dignity through work. These are the principles behind the project that, for the first time, sees prisoners from Campania working on the construction sites of the Naples-Bari high-speed line .
The initiative is the result of a collaboration between Webuild, the largest Italian construction group, and the Department of Penitentiary Administration (DAP) of the Ministry of Justice, with the support of the Campania Department of Prisons.
The first concrete application began at the Benevento Prison, where four inmates were selected and trained to work on the Apice-Hirpinia section of the new railway line.
This experience has been described as " highly professionalizing" by the director of the penitentiary institute, Gianfranco Marcello, who emphasized that the project does not benefit from public funding (with the exception of the tax breaks provided by the Smuraglia law) and therefore represents a virtuous exception in the panorama of prison work in Campania.
From the "School of the Territory" to the construction site
The inmates' training program included several phases: an initial basic training course held within the prison, participation in the "Scuola dei Mestieri" program at the Formedil training center in Avellino, and finally, hiring by Webuild with direct placement on the construction site.
The initiative is part of the broader "Cantiere Lavoro Italia" program, through which the construction group intends to offer new professional retraining opportunities in a sector—large construction sites—that requires skills and compliance with safety regulations.
After Benevento, the project will also extend to the Ariano Irpino prison, where discussions are underway for the placement of five more inmates destined for the Hirpinia-Orsara construction site, a central section of the railway line.
A great strategic work
The Naples-Bari line is considered one of the most important infrastructure projects for the development of Southern Italy. Webuild, on behalf of RFI (FS Group), is working on four lots: Naples-Cancello, Apice-Hirpinia, Hirpinia-Orsara, and Orsara-Bovino. Currently, approximately 2.300 people, including direct and indirect workers, are working on the construction sites, with over 2.500 companies in the supply chain involved.
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It's an interesting initiative that could bring positive changes for prisoners. However, I'm not sure the project is enough to ensure effective reintegration into the workforce after detention. More support is needed.