A morning at Como Prison for the Advanced Criminal Law class at Insubria University: students and inmates

On Wednesday 6 May, thirty students from the Advanced Criminal Law class on the Law degree programme at the Varese campus went on an authorised visit to the Como Prison in Bassone. They were led by the initiator of the project, the course lecturer Gilda Ripamonti, who also serves as the Ombudsman for the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty for the Municipality of Como, accompanied by the lecturer for the Prison Law course, Thomas Di Candia.

The visit allowed the students, who were welcomed into the facility after the necessary security checks, to meet in the Multipurpose Hall the acting director of the institution Roberta Galati, the commander and deputy commander of the facility Maria Manzella and Paola Di Vincenti, along with two inmates. “A lengthy, relaxed and engaging meeting,” explains Gilda Ripamonti, “which, thanks to the willingness of those present, allowed us to hear stories and answer many questions about all the real aspects of life in a prison and to open our eyes to a reality that, for the students, represented a hidden world.”

The morning continued with a tour of the men’s sections, the library, the gym, the classrooms used for education, courses and other training or cultural activities, and the sports field, passing alongside the exercise yards of the various sections. The group then went to the women’s section for a brief meeting.

The students, together with their lecturer, were able to reflect on the significance of the day back in the classroom, summarising their impressions as follows: ‘We, the students of the Law degree programme, had the invaluable opportunity to visit the Bassone Prison in Como. This experience has undoubtedly enriched our cultural and emotional understanding, helping us to better understand the importance of moving beyond prejudice. Furthermore, the human and professional contribution of all those working within the facility was fundamental, making possible an approach based not only on security, but also on listening, dignity and the value of the rehabilitation process.”

“Before stepping through the gates of Bassone, my idea of prison was influenced by cinematic imagery, I admit: I expected constant noise, palpable tension and a great deal of rigidity. But as soon as I entered the communal areas, I changed my mind immediately. What struck me, paradoxically, was the silence. It wasn’t a rigid or heavy silence, but an honest and respectful one. However, there was one sentence that echoed in my head throughout the visit, and it still comes back to me. It was spoken by an inmate we met: he said that, although he is aware of the mistake he made and admits to regretting it every day, his goal is to manage to bring a smile to people’s faces.

This remark gave me goosebumps, and made me reflect deeply on just how complex the rehabilitative process is and how, from the outside, we often forget that there are people behind those walls. Real people, with real stories, with real emotions, who cannot be defined solely by the mistake they made. Realising that, even behind bars, there remains a desire to create a moment of normality and human connection, was the most important lesson of the day.