Rome, Dec. 27 (LaPresse) – "A prison that is solely punitive is neither civil, humane, nor even 'Italian,' because it does not align with the fundamental pact of our citizenship. Security is not achieved by the proverbial 'throwing away the key,' but quite the opposite—through rehabilitation, with all that it entails. Certainly, the certainty and security of punishments are indispensable. However, we know how much cruelty and vengeance are instead fostered by punitive approaches. This is precisely why alternative sentences, proportionate and wisely administered, are crucial—they are the only ones that can help individuals change and look toward the future," said Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), in the preface to the book The Faces of Poverty in Prison by Matteo Pernaselci and Rossana Ruggiero (Edb). The preface was published in La Stampa. "These are not shortcuts or 'soft-hearted' concessions, but an exercise of true constitutional duty and, for Christians, of love. Only 'restorative justice' heals the wound and offers security," Zuppi further wrote.
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