Are the 41-bis prisoners to be transferred to Sardinia? How many? And where? To Uta? To Nuoro? Mystery: the regional prison administration doesn't know what the national one intends to do. "We were not consulted, consulted, or informed," Domenico Arena, the Sardinian superintendent, raises his hands.
Sicilian by birth, he was transferred from Rome to Cagliari just under a year ago to oversee the island's prison system : a return to the island for Arena, who spent his university years in Sassari. "We're worried," he confesses, not only about the risk of infiltration by organized crime but also about the impact this change could have on a struggling prison system that is struggling to "open up" to the local community.
Do you really not know what will happen?
We haven't received any official communication. This is the sole responsibility of the Ministry: the Regional Department is responsible for implementing decisions already made or yet to be made. I only know that the issue was addressed last Thursday at a State-Region conference.
Curious that the implementation level has no information.
"Very curious, yes. I note, however, that it's not mandatory to inform us."
Don't you even know if these 41bis prisoners would be sent to Nuoro or Uta?
"I repeat, I haven't received any communication. Personally, I believe the most credible hypothesis is Uta, given that a project to build a maximum-security unit has been underway in that prison for ten years. A project that—it's no secret—is well underway."
The full interview is available on newsstands, on the L'Unione Digital app, and in the digital edition of L'Unione Sarda.
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