On December 13, 2024, at 6:00 PM, philosopher Giuseppe Ferraro will present his new book The Value of Punishment and the Unforgivable: A Critique of Penal Reason (Castelvecchi Editore) at the Feltrinelli bookstore in Piazza dei Martiri, Naples. The event will foster a public discussion on the Italian prison system and the profound meaning of punishment.
The debate will feature Lucia Castellano, Director of the Penitentiary Administration of Campania, and Don Franco Esposito, Chaplain of Poggioreale Prison. Together with Ferraro, they will delve into the concept of authentic punishment, not as mere affliction but as an experience that combines care, responsibility, and compassion.
Ferraro argues that Beccaria’s principle of proportionality between “crimes and punishments” no longer meets the needs of today’s penal system. Instead, the focus should shift to the individual experience of punishment, where pain gains personal meaning. This approach is crucial to address the current crisis in prisons, marked by overcrowding, suicides, and systemic violence.
For punishment to be genuine, it must embrace the idea of “forgiveness,” which Ferraro redefines as “for gift”: a responsibility that values life even in the most challenging conditions. This perspective highlights the need for a radical reform of the prison system that merges security with care.
Recent rulings in the murders of Giulia Cecchettin and Giulia Tramontano have reignited discussions on the unforgivable, challenging society to reconsider the essence of justice. Ferraro’s book invites readers to see punishment not just as a legal tool but as a human experience involving prisoners, society, and institutions.
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