Prisons, introspection is freedom: the paths of awareness behind bars

ROME – There are 15 Italian prisons in which the Association Liberation Prison Project (LPP) has launched awareness courses for prisoners and prison staff, created thanks to the funds 8xthousand of theItalian Buddhist Union. Introspection can help realize the re-educational principle of article 27 of the Constitution: the Association Liberation Prison Project, born in 1996 in the United States on the initiative of a Buddhist nun, offers awareness courses in Italian prisons, aimed at both prisoners and staff (such as educators and prison police officers), but also ex-prisoners and family members. An activity based on the belief that even in places of detention it is possible to work on the level of personal development and self-knowledge, on one’s “human being”.

Paths inspired by secularism. LPP is inspired by Buddhist philosophy but the paths – group and individual – are completely secular and concern primarily awareness training, or rather the centering of the mind in the “here and now”, listening to oneself, with a non-judgmental presence. Today the LPP courses, which began in 2009, are present in 15 prisons, among which the Milan-Bollate prison stands out with 5 groups, but also Turin, Monza, Pavia, Lodi, Padua, Modena, Pisa, Volterra, Livorno , Velletri, Trani, Alghero, Palermo, Treviso. A diffusion that continues to grow even in 2023.

The training process of the operators. The operators who enter the prison and lead the awareness courses must follow a rigorous training process which favors the acquisition of theoretical and practical elements to operate in a difficult context, having to establish relationships with the prison management, the prison population, the officials and prison officers. Today there are 22 active operators in all, and they hold weekly groups of 10-15 people.

A proposal suitable for everyone. “Operators have to train a lot and be motivated, because it’s not an easy comparison; they must first of all be ‘authentic’ and exercise a form of understanding but without forgetting the victims of the crimes. They are warriors of compassion”, comments Lara Gatto, president of Liberation Prison Project Italy, who goes on to explain how LPP welcomes any prisoner who shows interest in the program: “It is a proposal suitable for everyone because it is based on aspects that characterize every human being; no matter the social extraction, geographical, cultural or religious origin”.

The main objectives. One of the main objectives of the Liberation Prison Project courses is to help generate more peaceful environments, inside and outside prison; in particular, anger management groups have been set up for “new arrivals”, people who have just arrived in prison and “resigns”.

A non-profit reality. LPP is one of the small non-profit organizations supported by the Italian Buddhist Union: the impact of the activities financed with the 8xmille is highlighted in the 2022 Impact Report, the first sustainability report produced by a religious denomination in Italy and available on the website.