From “secure” rights to security “at the cost” of rights: the paradigm shift of the latest security decree
The new security decree, Legislative Decree 24/02/2026 no. 23, converted into law on 24 April 2026, represents the latest crucial turning point in a gradual paradigm shift. Criminal law, which should constitute the extrema ratio, to be used only when all other forms of public policy intervention have failed, becomes the legislature’s first response to any sign of social conflict. This is a securitarian drift that strikes at the very essence of the liberal democratic state.
Contro la paura. Manifesto per una sicurezza democratica
In “Contro la paura. Manifesto per una sicurezza democratica” (Feltrinelli, 2026), Carlo Bonini and Franco Gabrielli reflect on one of the most central and controversial issues in public debate: security.
Research Handbook on Penal Policy
The “Research Handbook on Penal Policy” explores the processes through which penal policies are developed, contested, and transformed, examining how punitive strategies evolve and why national systems tend to converge in some areas while diverging in others.
Security Decree (Decree-Law No. 23 of 24 February 2026): A Brief Analysis of Criminal and Procedural Law Aspects
Decree-Law No. 23 of 24 February 2026 – the recently adopted so-called “Security Decree” – introduces a number of measures affecting different areas of the legal system: the contribution by Pietro Bernardoni, published on Sistema Penale, aims to provide an initial overview of the main innovations concerning criminal and procedural law, accompanied by specific observations on the most critical issues.
Social demand or political strategy? The final report of the research project “The Determinants of Urban Security Policies” has been published
The report of the research project “The Determinants of Urban Security Policies” is now available. The report investigates the factors underlying the emergence in Italy, since the 1990s, of the “urban security issue” and the related public policies.
Conference "Urban Security: Social Demand or Political Strategy?"
he conference “Urban Security: Social Demand or Political Strategy?” – the final conference of the PRIN PNRR project The Determinants of Urban Security Policies and Their Impact on Democratic Institutions – aims to present and discuss the results of an interdisciplinary research project devoted to the analysis of the determinants of urban security policies.
Abolishing the Impossible. Forms of Violence, Practices of Freedom
The book “Abolishing the Impossible. Forms of Violence, Practices of Freedom” by Valeria Verdolini investigates the possibilities, in contemporary society, of abolishing those pervasive and oppressive structures that appear unshakeable.
The Effects of Criminalisation on Activists: The Case of the NoTAP Environmental Movement
The article “The Effects of Criminalisation on Activists: The Case of the NoTAP Environmental Movement” examines the impact of criminalisation on NoTAP activists, showing how the more advanced phases of the repressive cycle — in particular judicial and economic repression — generate the strongest effects of demobilisation and personal suffering.
Cops and Robbers: Banditry and Crime Control in Europe from the Middle Ages to the Contemporary Age
The volume “Guardie e ladri. Banditismo e controllo della criminalità in Europa dal Medioevo all’età contemporanea” [Cops and Robbers: Banditry and Crime Control in Europe from the Middle Ages to the Contemporary Age], edited by Livio Antonielli, Stefano Levati, Claudio Povolo, and Luca Rossetto and published open access in the series Stato, Esercito e Controllo del Territorio of CEPOC – Centro studi per la storia delle polizie e del controllo del territorio, brings together the proceedings of the conference organized by the Center and held from 26 to 28 October 2017, along with the wide-ranging discussion among the many scholars who took part.
Curbing trafficking in cultural property: a path for global strategy?
The conference “Combating Trafficking in Cultural Property: Towards a Global Strategy?” brings together experts, academics, and representatives of international organizations to discuss global and national strategies to counter the illicit trade in cultural property. The goal is to foster a concrete dialogue on the importance of cooperation among institutions, law enforcement agencies, the private sector, and the international community to protect cultural heritage and prevent crime in the art and antiquities market.