Carceral hegemony: Confinement, race and state formation in Italy

The article introduces the concept of “carceral hegemony” to examine the role of confinement in the formation of the Italian state. Through a historical-sociological perspective, it explores the relationship between punitive practices, national belonging, and processes of social exclusion.

News

R. Cornelli (2025), Minori e criminalità. Le etichette che hanno successo e i dati che fanno pensare

An analysis of the available, well-established data does not seem to support the emergency narrative of rampant youth violence. If anything, it points to the hypothesis – initially supported by monthly incarceration trends – that political choices are accelerating the crisis of the juvenile justice system, leading to overcrowding in Juvenile Detention Institutes.

Publication

Prison, Recidivism, and Employment: A Dialogue Between Economists and Legal Scholars

On Tuesday, June 23, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the University of Milan will host a conference bringing together economists and legal scholars to discuss issues related to prisons, recidivism, and social reintegration.

Event

Everything closed. 22nd Antigone Report on detention conditions

The 22nd Antigone Report depicts an increasingly overcrowded and “closed” prison system, marked by rising tensions and limited rehabilitative opportunities. The document provides an updated overview of detention conditions and recent penal policies in Italy.

News

Punitive Routines: Everyday Sanctions, 19th–20th Century

The volume reconstructs a social history of everyday sanctions between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, examining punitive practices across disciplinary institutions. Through a comparative perspective, it reflects on ordinary mechanisms of control, authority, and discipline.

News

Stati Generali della giustizia minorile

From May to November 2026, the working groups of the Stati Generali della giustizia minorile will convene, a collective process aimed at reaffirming a model of juvenile justice grounded in education, inclusion and the protection of rights.

News

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.

News

‘I sit somewhere in that sort of sweet spot’: Liminal legitimacy in criminal justice practice

The article explores the role of lived experience professionals in building trust and legitimacy in criminal justice, introducing the concept of “liminal legitimacy”. It shows how lived experience operates as both a relational resource and a fragile position within disciplinary systems.

News

National Study Day “Punishing Young People”

Registrations are now open for the National Study Day “Punishing Young People”, taking place on Friday, May 22, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Padua Correctional Facility.

News

R. Cornelli et al. (2026), The influence of delegitimization on prison officers’ readiness to use force

The article “The influence of delegitimization on prison officers’ readiness to use force”, by Roberto Cornelli, Chiara Chisari, Fabio Ferretti, and Oriana Binik, examines the factors shaping prison officers’ readiness to use force.

Publication