People and spaces

”It is a very complex time. Everything that the world is experiencing outside the prison is extremely amplified inside. On the one hand, the walls separate and protect the prison from the city; on the other, they represent an insurmountable boundary at this moment.” Giacinto Siciliano, Director of the Milan San Vittore correctional centre, and Stefano Boeri, President of Triennale Milano, discuss the current situation in Italian prisons and, in particular, the riots that broke out in recent days in several jails in the face of the public health emergency.

”In this unprecedented historical moment, there is a paradox. The feeling of having lost some of our freedom of movement, to which we are accustomed, creates some similarities between the daily life of a normal citizen and the life of those who live in confinement.” Stefano Boeri

“Seemingly trivial, everyday things take on a special meaning when you are in jail. I think the restrictions we are enduring these days should make us think. People on the “outside” are experiencing many of the limits that prisoners have “inside”. When all this is over, we will have learned to appreciate the value of things, time and freedom.” Giacinto Siciliano

The President of Triennale Milano Stefano Boeri explained the project San Vittore, spazio alla bellezza, which brings the two institutions together for a common goal: “The Prison of San Vittore and Triennale Milano are carrying out a project of hope, the outcome of reflection on their geographical proximity and their distance in terms of users, profile and purpose. The idea is to work together with the common goal of trying to improve prison spaces in quality and beauty.”

”We have been working on this project for months with the collaboration of Triennale and other entities to try and rethink one of the symbols of the city of Milan, which, for various reasons, has fallen into decline in recent years. Redesigning common living areas of the large community of San Vittore, from prison cells to staff spaces, investing in places and people and believing that, if properly supported, people can change and re-enter society successfully, also and despite all that has happened these days.” Giacinto Siciliano

Giacinto Siciliano is the director of the Milan San Vittore correctional centre. A prison governor since 1993, he has held management positions at major correctional facilities, including Busto Arsizio, Monza, Trani, Sulmona and Milano Opera. He collaborates with the Inspectorate of the Italian Prison Administration Department. He teaches at national academies for prison administration and at the Italian correctional officer training academy. He collaborates with “l’aula più stretta del mondo” (the world’s smallest classroom), an experimental management training project carried out in the Milan-Opera prison in collaboration with training companies Slo and Galdus.