La Deistituzionalizzazione Negata. Sociogenesi delle pratiche di cura e custodia nella R.E.M.S. di Castiglione delle Stiviere

By Law 81/2014, the Italian State mandated the closure of Forensic Psychiatric Hospitals, establishing Residences for the Execution of Security Measures (REMS) instead. These regional institutions, governed by the national health system, aim to socially rehabilitate individuals classified as both socially dangerous and mentally ill. REMS emerge as spaces influenced by a blend of medical and legal normative frameworks, often in conflict yet interdependent. Adopting Bourdieu’s theory of fields, this research examines the sociogenesis of these institutions, specifically through the case study of the forensic hospital in Castiglione delle Stiviere and its transformation into a REMS. The study aims to: (a) delineate the genesis, morphogenesis, and nomos of the inter-field; and (b) analyse the subjectivation processes related to its autonomies and heteronomies. Data was derived from 60 narrative interviews and ethnographic observations conducted over a 10-month. Findings reveal that Castiglione functioned as an institutional anchor amid shifting field dynamics, resulting in resistance to established norms and leading to institutional hysteresis due to its inability to adapt to emerging logic. A significant contradiction identified is the tension between voluntary treatment and mandatory institutionalisation. Additionally, the interplay of symbolic and social capital within the legal and medical realms affects staff and patients in various ways. This research illustrates the applicability of Bourdieu's framework to total institutions, suggesting potential avenues for future studies comparing similar national and international institutions to further address these contradictions.