Una comunità con le sbarre. Etnografia di un Istituto a Custodia Attenuata per il Trattamento dei Tossicodipendenti

This doctoral dissertation constitutes the first study specifically focused on the functioning of differentiated penitentiary circuits for drug-addicted convicts in Italy (ICATT). The main aim of the research is to understand if the prison sentence, within a minimum-security prison where the presence of social and health workers is consistent, can represent a valid solution to cope with drug-addicted convicts’ needs. I try to adopt an interdisciplinary perspective inspired both by critical criminology and critical psychology. The first part of the thesis, after having analysed the social construction of the “dope fiend” through medicalisation and criminalisation processes, explores the link between drug addiction and the prison sentence. Particular attention is dedicated to the Italian regulatory framework, especially concerning the changes resulting from the recent prison healthcare reform. The second part of the thesis presents the empirical part of the research, that relies on participant observations, interviews and documentary material collected during the 18-months of ethnographic research I have conducted in one minimum-security prison for drug-addicted convicts of northern Italy. Results suggest the inadequacy of prison sentence for the treatment of drug-addicted convicts. Indeed, for them, it appears very complicated to positively complete a rehabilitation or re-socialisation process while being segregated in a context that is lacking in resources and adequate health care.