Work projects in prison offer more than just tasks to inmates: every work shift and every item produced becomes a step towards regaining dignity and awareness. Through the opportunity to acquire technical and interpersonal skills, they learn to value their own abilities and rediscover a sense of belonging and achievement. Each moment spent working is part of a journey of rehabilitation, hope, and especially creativity and beauty, which involves work groups as well as other inmates who, observing the positive changes, become interested and passionate about these projects. For almost 18 years, the Onlus Officina Creativa s.c.s has been dedicated to this cause: using craftsmanship and manual labor as tools for redemption and new models of social economy for inmates, who have the opportunity to create textile products such as bags, gadgets, and bracelets from recycled materials in the prisons of Lecce, Trani, Taranto, and Matera, and to produce food items like Le scappatelle cookies at the Juvenile Penitentiary Institute of Bari. In particular, Officina Creativa, through its social brands Made in Carcere, 2nd Chance, and Sartoria Sociale di Periferia, has initiated a virtuous production cycle linked to the recovery of raw materials thanks to the collaboration with the Mare di Moda Consortium, which collects textile samples discarded by the fashion industry to make way for new trends. These materials are recovered, cataloged, reworked, and reintroduced to the market. This activity is carried out not only in prisons but also in Social Tailoring workshops in the outskirts, which regularly receive fabrics and accessories to achieve economic independence. The clients? Universities, companies, third sector organizations, as well as private individuals who purchase through online platforms or physical stores. The project we support, Made in Carcere – New Philosophy and Lifestyle, aims to further expand the scope of this virtuous social business model by involving associations active in prisons and creating a dedicated team to strengthen Officina Creativa: professionals with specific knowledge and skills in the commercial, logistics, communication and marketing, monitoring, and reporting sectors. The initiative aims to launch training and professional courses for 35 inmates, including minors, as well as meetings and workshops with students and external companies, and to increase production capacity in two sectors: food and textile. The results of such projects are incredible, considering that the recidivism rate for working inmates drops to 2% compared to 70% for non-working inmates. This is why engaging in work activities is fruitful and beneficial not only for inmates but for society as a whole. Details Location: Lecce (male and female), Lequile, Trani, Taranto, Matera, Bari IPM (Juvenile Penitentiary Institute). Organization: Officina Creativa Social Cooperative Society Beneficiaries: 35 inmates and 12 new hires Contribution: 200,000 euros Duration: December 2023 - December 2026
