Castelvolturno, a youth center occupied by private individuals: the complaint of the prisoners' ombudsman and associations

Castel Volturno – A public building of approximately 860 square meters, financed with ministerial funds to promote legality and youth integration in Castel Volturno, is now reportedly almost entirely used by a private company. This serious complaint has brought renewed scrutiny to the management of public assets in the Caserta area, prompting local institutions and associations to request an urgent inspection.

The Prisoners' Ombudsman's attack: "Young people help themselves with facts."

The case has received strong institutional attention thanks to the intervention of Don Salvatore Saggiomo, Guarantor of Prisoners' Rights for the Province of Caserta. Through a formal appeal addressed to the Prefect of Caserta, the President of the Campania Region, and the Public Prosecutor of Santa Maria Capua Vetere, the Guarantor requested the immediate convening of an institutional roundtable to discuss the issue raised by the Officina Volturno Study Center.

"I call for an immediate institutional review. Young people are not helped with promises, but with actions," declared Don Salvatore Saggiomo. The Guarantor emphasized that preventing deviance and social exclusion in complex areas must necessarily involve creating concrete opportunities. "Legality must translate into real opportunities, especially for the younger generations. If the allegations are confirmed by the investigations, we would be faced with a shameful situation."

Reconstructing the story: from the 2015 documents to current use

The entire affair stems from the detailed documentary reconstruction presented by Tommaso Morlando, president of the Officina Volturno Study Center (publisher of the Magazine Informare ). With documents in hand, Morlando refuted the positions expressed by the head of the Public Works department of the Municipality of Castel Volturno, architect Gennaro Campoli, who maintained that the building was not specifically designated for use by young people.

The General Report of the executive project, dated July 8, 2015, demonstrates the exact opposite: the project was explicitly titled "Aggregation and Legality in Castel Volturno" and funded by the Ministry of the Interior as part of the "PAG – Youth Action Plan for Security and Legality." The two-story building was intended to house educational laboratories, multimedia spaces, study rooms, and a 78-seat auditorium to combat school dropout and promote integration.

Today, the situation inside the building is radically different, according to President Morlando's complaint. "The building appears to be occupied almost entirely by the staff of ATS Monte Maggiore, a private company engaged in reforestation of the local pine forest. On the upper floor, only one room appears to be assigned to the Regional Nature Reserves Agency, which has already planned to relocate its offices to Giugliano in Campania," the complaint states.

The shadows on the concession and the protest of the associations

The crux of the dispute lies in the manner in which the private company obtained exclusive use of the spaces. According to the Officina Volturno Study Center, the assignment was made through a direct agreement with the Municipality, without any public procedure, call for tenders, or transparent procedures that would have allowed local social groups to participate.

This is a stark paradox for a region that consistently declares its commitment to legality. The Officina Volturno Study Center has coordinated civic engagement activities for over twenty years and has more than 60 young editors from across Campania. These young people, intent on pursuing journalism and developing a critical conscience, have been effectively denied access to a property that was built and financed specifically to support their work.

Requests to the Extraordinary Commissioner of the Municipality of Castel Volturno

The formal complaint, filed with the Municipality headed by the Extraordinary Commissioner, concludes with four specific requests put forward by the associations and supported by the Guarantor for Prisoners, Don Salvatore Saggiomo:

1. Ascertain administrative responsibilities for changing the intended use of the property.
2. Verify the legitimacy of the direct agreement stipulated with the ATS Monte Maggiore company.
3. Terminate the exclusive occupation of the property by the private individual.
4. Return the building to the citizens and young people through a public, transparent, and non-discriminatory tender.

The associations have already announced that, in the absence of timely response from the municipal and prefectural authorities, the matter will be brought to the attention of the competent judicial and supervisory bodies.