he four sessions — held at the Sala Zuccari in Palazzo Giustiniani, the Sala Isma of the Senate, and the Sala Capitolare in Palazzo della Minerva — addressed the issue from complementary perspectives, progressively building a framework for analysis and proposal.

The first event, ESG and Prison: Inclusion Is Possible (7 May), opened the debate on the value of prison labour in light of ESG criteria and commitments made at the European and international level, from the 2030 Agenda to the most recent EU directives. The second, Social Impact, Reoffending and the Common Good (25 June), placed Article 27 of the Italian Constitution and the rehabilitative purpose of punishment at the centre of discussion, underlining how training and work are the most effective tools for reducing reoffending and restoring an active role in society to people in detention. The third session, When State, Business and Third Sector Meet: Replicability of Models (25 September), brought together concrete experiences from companies and cooperatives that have launched work programmes in prisons, highlighting the need to systematise models that currently remain isolated. The fourth and final event, Smuraglia, ESG and New European Directives: Challenges and Opportunities (6 November), examined the regulatory framework in light of the CSRD and CSDDD directives, exploring how these may represent an opportunity to expand and improve the quality of prison labour.

President Paola Severino delivered the closing remarks of the final session, reaffirming the importance of a vision of prison work that rejects a welfare-based logic in favour of genuine emancipation.

The series concluded with five operational proposals — covering evaluation metrics, dialogue with the Prison Administration, institutional advocacy, communication, and reform of regulatory instruments — pointing to a concrete path forward for those who wish to translate debate into action.