Giovani al centro

The project aims to structure and consolidate an integrated, multidisciplinary, and holistic model for rehabilitative interventions targeting minors and young adults serving sentences who experience psychological distress. The initiative focuses on individuals detained at Monza Prison, San Vittore Prison, and the Cesare Beccaria Juvenile Detention Center in Milan, addressing the needs of both Italian and foreign detainees.

Psychological fragility in these settings manifests in two primary ways: pre-existing psychopathological conditions before incarceration and reactive responses to traumatic experiences such as imprisonment, guilt over committed offenses, fear of sentencing, or the sentence itself.
In addition to severe psychiatric disorders, many detainees experience mental fragility and extreme social marginalization, often exacerbated by traumatic events such as: entry or release from prison, conflicts in communal living environments, eparation from family and social ties, traumatic migration experiences.

Given these circumstances, it is crucial to provide a protected space where detainees can engage in meaningful interactions, receive emotional support, and participate in rehabilitative activities that prevent the deterioration of their psychological well-being.

Since 2005, A&I has implemented the “Centro Diurno” socio-rehabilitative program, designed for detained individuals and those serving alternative community-based sentences with mental health challenges. The model involves:

• Biweekly or triweekly small-group activities, facilitated by trained professionals.
• Experiential, creative, and expressive workshops that foster emotional expression, personal growth, and skill-building.
• Interdisciplinary support, including psychologists, educators, and artistic instructors.

The program has demonstrated highly positive results, leading the Penitentiary Administration to request its expansion to multiple institutions, including juvenile justice settings.

Through Giovani al Centro, the initiative will ensure continuity the Centro Diurno model in three correctional facilities (San Vittore, Monza, C. Beccaria) and to young offenders under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Social Services Office.

Key Features of the Centers are: multidisciplinary support teams (psychologists, educators, artistic instructors); activities designed to enhance self-awareness and develop personal skills (creative expression, socialization, manual skill-building); preparation for future educational and employment opportunities.

By fostering trusting relationships with professionals and peers, even individuals from highly disadvantaged and dysfunctional backgrounds can develop essential relational and emotional competencies—a prerequisite for successful reintegration into society post-incarceration.The project aims to support approximately 50 detainees over 12 months.