D.to work for prisoners and at the same time to reduce the cost of the work itself. It means to accomplish a gesture of great social value, and moreover convenient for businesses: is the daily mission of Flavia Filippi that, compatibly with his work as a judicial reporter a La7launched the project Second Chance.
The project Second Chance
“During the lockdown, due to the arrest of the judicial activity, I found myself with a lot of free time” says Filippi: “Always involved in the s ociale, I decided to make myself useful by deepening the Smuraglia Law, which provides for tax and social security relief for companies hiring prisoners “. Thus the journalist tells the origin of her project with which it offers many people in criminal execution an opportunity to work as well as social reintegration.
From left Gabriella Stramaccioni, Guarantor of the prisoners of Rome, three prisoners, the press office of the ISS and Flavia Filippi
The network established with companies and institutions
To support it from the beginning, the Guarantor of the prisoners of Rome, Gabriella Stramaccioniwhich put her in contact with the Provider of the prisons of Lazio, Abruzzo and Molise, Carmelo Cantone.
“A little over a year ago, I began to enter into agreements and memoranda of understanding with trade associations, cooperatives and public companies, such as theANCE (Building builders), With the’Union of Italian ArtisansWith the‘Higher Institute of Health. And I managed to build a very solid and articulated network “he explains, illustrating his days in which is divided between work and meetings in bars, restaurants, sports centers of the capital to ask the owners if they need staff and, therefore, if they are going to give a second chance to a prisoner, taking advantage of the tax advantages.
Empathy between prisoners and entrepreneurs
Sometimes, inevitably, he runs into the reticence of some owners, but, when they understand the value of the project, most of them adhere: “When entrepreneurs arrive in jail and meet inmates for the interview, at that precise moment, the spark of empathy is triggered and, sometimes, they take more than expected “says the creator of Second Chance.
Great interest and enthusiasm is also recorded among the inmates of the Rebibbia prison, from which the project, now expanding throughout the national territory, started.
Two of the three inmates hired at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità
I work for the Rebibbia inmates
“They are not chosen at randomthe prison administration selects the inmates with the most appropriate profile for the professional figures that require me from outside. Then we organize the interviews in Rebibbia, held by the inspector Cinzia Silvano together with the educators who let the prisoner talk about their skills, and then communicate the peculiarities of the individuals to the entrepreneurs “declares Filippi, always present at every interview, during which he takes notes for then draw up the cards for each one.
The inmates hired at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità
It is a real hinge that connects prisoners and entrepreneurs: in recent months it has achieved important goals such as the hiring of three inmates at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità. They were initially employed in the carpentry, now they are carrying out various repair and maintenance works inside and outside the building and, soon, they will take care of the restoration of the San Lorenzo alarm siren that sounded before the bombing of July 1943.
“They are serious people: let’s give them the opportunity to prove it”
«The requests increase daily, they contact me from every corner of Italy, even people who offer to help me create the site and register the trademark. My commitment is rewarded by the satisfaction that I perceive in the eyes of the inmates. S.they have a chance to prove that they are different from the cliché that makes them all appear unreliable “says the journalist who, in recent days, has also managed to create a connection between a company in Garbagnate and the prison in Bollate, in addition to having hired two people under criminal execution in the prison of Velletri at the Circeo National Park.
An inmate hired as assistant chef in a restaurant in Rome, thanks to Second Chance
Respect for skills
Training courses with the Red Cross and Rai will start shortly; to show great interest also the Ministry of Agriculture with which Filippi will stipulate a protocol that will make it possible to actively contribute to the shortage of personnel on farms.
“I fight so that the supply-demand intersection takes place in compliance with the skills and attitudes of each individual prisoner. It seems like a demand, but, if possible, I want to guarantee a job that suits their propensities “he reiterates, focusing on the particularly controlled bureaucratic process: after approximately two months, when the surveillance magistrate gives a positive opinion, the selected person goes to work at the company.
An inmate hired as assistant chef in a restaurant in Rome, thanks to Second Chance
The Second Chance showcase in Rebibbia
In these days, to simplify the intersection of supply and demand, the Second Chance showcase has been created inside Rebibbia, where every prisoner admitted to work outside, by virtue of art. 21 of the penitentiary system, he can post a card with his own competences, helped by two inmates with a degree in law.
The expanding project
«I did not expect such a success in the span of so few months – he confides – so many people are supporting me, there are the conditions to better structure this project, perhaps providing a contact person in each region or province. Certainly some inmates will continue their employment relationship even after they have finished serving their sentence“.
While waiting for the domain to be registered Second ChanceFilippi continues to receive dozens and dozens of emails from entrepreneurs offering jobs. The address to write to to give your willingness to hire is [email protected].
The former inmate who will be able to hug her daughters again
The importance of social reintegration even before the end of the sentence is clear in the words of Flavia Fillippi and in the stories of the people she is helping: «A human relationship is established with every single inmate. A few months ago I also managed to get an ex-prisoner woman to be hired which did not fall within the benefits provided for by the Smuraglia Law. She desperately needed a job to regain parental authority over her two daughters. No.It wasn’t easy, but now, thanks to being hired for an indefinite period in a cleaning company, she will be able to reunite with her dearest loved ones “concludes Filippi, proud to be able to offer an opportunity for social redemption, but also to be able to attest concretely the re-educational function of the prison sentence.
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