The little ones cannot be the ones to pay for the sins of adults. This is, in a nutshell, the warning launched by Unicef Italy, which expresses "deep concern" for the conditions of children of mothers in prison, still forced too often to grow up behind bars.

The alarm comes after the publication of the Supreme Court of Cassation's report on the innovations introduced by the so-called Security Decree 2025. A reading that, according to the organization, turns the spotlight back on a wound that is still open in the Italian penitentiary system: the lack of real and systemic protections for the minors involved.

"We must prevent children - innocent victims - from being forced to live in prison with their mothers," says Nicola Graziano, president of Unicef Italy. "Respecting the principle of the best interests of the minor means safeguarding their psychophysical integrity, placing educational and parental needs above precautionary ones."

Also in the crosshairs are the Icam, the institutions with reduced custody for detained mothers, which UNICEF considers insufficient. "They are not real alternatives to detention, especially if we look at them through the eyes of a child," Graziano emphasizes.

The organization's proposal is instead oriented towards protected family homes, structures that allow a more dignified and parent-oriented life, in an educational and social context.

The problem, however, is structural: the Family Homes currently operating in Italy are only two, in Rome and Milan, supported by a virtuous network of local authorities and associations.

"Without adequate public investments - warns Graziano - it is impossible to replicate these models on the national territory". For this reason, Unicef asks that the next Budget Law include specific resources for local authorities to open new facilities.

"Investing in childhood is investing in true, lasting security, made of rights, not locks," concludes Graziano. "The first word a child must learn is 'mamma' or 'papà', not 'apri'."