The symbolical act of exchanging jerseys at the seat of the Ministry of Justice marked the launch of Play for the Future, which saw the participation of minister Carlo Nordio, Fondazione CDP Chairman Giovanni Gorno Tempini and Fondazione Milan Paolo Scaroni.
The project aims to enhance the probation paths of young people in the criminal justice system by including sports activities and social and occupational workshops, which may turn into a development and steering event in the life of the young people involved, as well as foster the beginning of their first professional experience.
Probation is a form of judicial examination through which the criminal trial is suspended and juveniles are entrusted to social services to complete a re-educational process. According to a study from March 2023 by the Department of Juvenile Justice, 97% out of the over 14,000 young people in the criminal justice system undertake alternative routes to prison sentences, such as probation.
The programme will take place in four cities in the south of Italy: Bari, Catania, Naples and Palermo. The Offices of the Juvenile Social Services (USSM), in agreement with the Ministry of Justice, will select 120 young people aged between 16 and 22 years, who, until June 2024, as an alternative to prison, will be engaged in this social rehabilitation project offering a dual pathway:
Youth inclusion is a strategic priority for CDP Foundation, as is investing in southern Italy, an area to which it has decided to devote at least half of its resources.