Inside the walls of a prison there are people, lives, stories, which populate a complex, articulated and expensive system.
In Italy, for example, it is estimated that each prisoner costs the state around €137 per day and that the recovery of even just 700 “virtuous” prisoners would save €35 million per year.
To date, there are about two thousand inmates (out of a prison population of about 66 thousand people) employed in work activities, from call centers to gardening.
In this context, we at Axians Italia wanted to get involved with a training project developed specifically for inmates of penitentiary institutions whose value is not only social, but also economic.
The Social Cooperative Universo Onlus
In 2002, Lorenzo Lento, an IT security expert and ICT manager, began teaching in prison as a volunteer.
Ten years later, he founded the UNIVERSO COOPERATIVA SOCIALE Onlus – now an official part of the international Cisco Networking Academy circuit – which, starting from the Bollate prison, pursues the goal of training interested inmates in the ICT field in order to find them a job.
In 2016 the cooperative signed a protocol with the Ministry of Justice, Cisco Italia, Fondazione Vodafone Italia and Confprofessioni to train over two hundred inmates in six Italian prisons: Opera, Secondigliano, La Spezia, Rebibbia, Monza and the juvenile institutes of Nisida (Naples) and Florence.
After a professional training course, the inmates can take the exam to obtain Cisco certifications valid for the inclusion of these resources in the projects developed by the companies that collaborate with the cooperative.
The Birth of the Project
In 2021, in collaboration with UNIVERSO COOPERATIVA SOCIALE Onlus, we at Axians Italia launched the NIC (NOC in prison) project at the Second House of Detention in Milan-Bollate.
It is an advanced training center that qualifies and certifies the inmates of the prison participating in the initiative in the areas of networking and cybersecurity, with the aim of using these resources remotely to support the services provided to our customers.
A project that creates value in prisons, and restores dignity and motivation to inmates who express the desire to engage in a professional path.
How does it work
The inmates who join the project are required to follow a theoretical and practical training course lasting a year and a half.
They are also given English, financial education and multimedia courses by external volunteers, with the aim of providing them with useful tools.
The expression of the candidates’ desire for change and the quality of the training acquired is fundamental.
Every week there is an exam to certify the understanding of the knowledge acquired: those who do not pass it after the first three consecutive attempts are suspended from training for six months.
Those who accumulate a significant number of unexcused absences are also suspended from the training course.
On the other hand, the inmates who complete the course and obtain the Cisco certification, in addition to being operational on the projects of Axians Italia customers, are involved to give classroom support to their classmates during the lessons.
Quality, Safety and Privacy
The level of professional quality of the resources employed in the prisons complies with the high standards required by Axians Italia to guarantee our customers an optimal service.
To participate in the project, the selected inmates must immediately demonstrate a strong motivation to support the commitment that is required of them.
Only properly trained and certified resources can work on active projects at Axians Italia’s customers, while being supported by expert tutors who monitor the fulfilment of the required tasks.
In order to guarantee the highest level of security, each device provided to the detainees is owned by the company and set up for use limited to work tasks only, as well as being equipped with security and control systems.
The privacy of prisoners is protected by the anonymity of their company profiles with which they access network systems and company applications.
First results
There are currently seven inmates involved in the NIC (NOC In Carcere) project who are supporting Axians Italia‘s customers (a number that is expected to grow).
Most of them work remotely.
However, upon agreement with the client, prisoners who have distinguished themselves in their professional and human career can obtain a special permit for on-site interventions.
The NIC (NOC in Prison) project has garnered sincere and heartfelt enthusiasm from the participants.
In fact, it has already happened that some prisoners have expressed their willingness to make a contribution in support of the initiative even after serving their sentences.
This gesture expresses the most precious human value of the NIC project, which aims to instil awareness, a sense of responsibility, and create new opportunities among the people who decide to embark on this path.
Do you want to grow this project WITH us?
Currently, the NIC (NOC in prison) project involves a limited number of Axians Italia customers.
We would like to see this project grow, collaborate with more prisons, involve more inmates and get more customers to join this initiative.
If you think you can help us achieve this, you can contact us by email at luca.moschini@axians.it.
Thank you!