Employment inclusion of prisoners is one of the main challenges for their social reintegration, helping to reduce the risk of recidivism and fostering a new outlook on life. Providing opportunities for training and employment makes it possible to enhance the time in prison as an opportunity for personal and professional growth. Precisely with this in mind, Asterisco Società Cooperativa Sociale was founded in Palermo in 2002 with the aim of promoting social and labor integration, using training as a strategic tool for individual and collective growth. The project we support, “Past-art: paths of social inclusion and labor reintegration of inmates in the pasta factory of the Ucciardone Detention Home,” is an initiative promoted by Asterisco and carried out in collaboration with a broad public-private partnership composed of 7 entities: the goal is to offer inmates orientation, training and job placement in the production and packaging of fresh and dry pasta. Through a three-year renewable agreement with the Ministry of Justice - Department of Prison Administration (DAP), the project involves the use of the existing laboratory premises and equipment within the penitentiary institution. The main activities under the project are: An Orientation and Training course for 15 inmates, which includes 150 hours of orientation and empowerment with the support of specialized psychologists, 150 hours of theoretical and practical training on pasta production, occupational safety, marketing and sales, 10 three-month training internships. Job placement: upon completion of the training, 5 inmates will be hired part-time at the Ri-genera Cooperative, a partner in the project. The marketing of the products, which will take place through e-commerce channels, as well as through the prison economy and legality circuits, in the prison's in-house commissary, restaurants and wine stores, and retail outlets. The “Past-art” project is a concrete opportunity for Ucciardone inmates to acquire professional skills that can be spent in the labor market, improving their prospects for social reintegration. Details Location: Palermo Association: Asterisco Società Cooperativa Sociale Beneficiaries: 15 inmates who will benefit from the orientation and training and job placement program Contribution: 150,000 euros Period: December 2024-December 2027
