Penitentiary Law (2nd semester)
CFU 6 – Ore di lezioni 42 – Anno del corso (V anno)
Academic year 2024/2025
Course Information
The Penitentiary Law course lasts six months and takes place in the second semester for a total of 6 credits (42 hours).
Informazioni Docente
Prof.ssa Elena Augusta Andolina, Associate of Criminal Procedural Law (3 CFU – 21 ore)
Dipartimento di giurisprudenza, economia e sociologia
Prof. Giuseppe Tabasco, type b researcher IUS/16 (3 CFU – 21 ore)
Dipartimento di giurisprudenza, economia e sociologia
The office hours are indicated on the lecturer page of the Department website.
Course Description
The course delves into a sector of the legal system of fundamental importance in the training of criminal lawyers. Not only for the primary importance of the constitutional values at play in the penitentiary execution phase (on both the substantive and procedural penal side). The underlying theme is the ever-increasing practical relevance of the institutions of penitentiary law which are suitable for influencing the content of the criminal judgement, modifying it with a view to pursuing the re-educational purpose of the punishment pursuant to art. 27 paragraph 3 of the Constitution. Without neglecting that the duty of the (democratic) State to work towards the re-education of the convicted derives from the constitutional guarantee, as well as the right of the individual to be re-educated.
Course objectives and expected learning outcomes
- Offer students the knowledge and ability to understand the phase that follows the cognition procedure in the dual dimension of formal and substantial execution. The principles and rules of criminal execution and the penitentiary system are analyzed in a broader research context, encouraging the ability to integrate with knowledge relating to other sectors of the criminal legal system.
- Promote the ability to criticize and make judgment regarding the topics covered during the lessons through additional activities which will put them in direct contact with the issues addressed in the classroom (visits to penitentiary institutions and seminars with sector operators)
- Encourage students to intervene on the issues addressed in class, also through constant attention paid to regulatory and jurisprudential emergencies, thus also acquiring an adequate technical language.
- Raise awareness towards the main regulatory profiles subject to reform tensions.
Program (contents, methods of development)
Constitutional principles and execution phase of the sentence;
Educational law: art.27 paragraph 3 of the Constitution;
The penitentiary legislation and its changes from ECHR jurisprudence;
Protection of prisoners’ rights;
The treatment of the condemned;
The individualization of treatment and choice of the institute;
The elements of individualized treatment: education and religion;
Penitentiary work;
Contacts with the external way: the socialization of prisoner;
The discipline of interviews;
Reward permits and need permits;
Penitentiary security;
From art.90 of the penal order to the security order reads “Gozzini”;
Particular surveillance;
Order and security by article 41-bis, paragraph 1, penitentiary law;
The penitentiary double track; the prison system foreclosures;
Article 4-bis penitentiary law: the presumptive mechanism;
The suspension of the normal rules of treatment: article 41- bis, paragraph 2, penitentiary law;
The surveillance procedure;
Alternative measures to detention: foster careon trial ;
Home detention and semi-freedom;
Early release
Conditional release and sure repentance
Estimate of the time commitment required for the study
Individual hours to devote to study for serious preparation: 150 hours.
Teaching methods
The course develops through 42 hours of frontal teaching. Supplementary seminars may also be held in order to delve deeper into certain topics and discuss concrete cases.
Resources for learning (textbooks)
The texts indicated for the study of the subject are:
F. Della Casa – G. Giostra (a cura di), Manual of penitentiary law, edited by G. Giappichelli, Turin, 2023, latest edition;
or
A. Diddi, Manual of penitentiary law, edited by Pacini Giuridica, Pisa, , 2023, latest edition.
Warnings: The study of textbooks must absolutely be integrated with constant consultation of the code. Given the continuous flow of regulatory data, we point out the absolute necessity to use the most recent edition of the study manuals and to consult the most recent edition of the criminal procedure code, to be integrated with any legislative amendments, as well as with any sentences of the Constitutional Court.
Support activities
Alongside the course lessons, additional activities are planned such as seminars with the presence of teachers from other universities and qualified magistrates, as well as visits to penitentiary institutions.
Attendance methods
Course attendance will take place in the 2nd semester. Although it is not mandatory, it is also strongly recommended for the purpose of a guided approach to study topics.
Method of odalità di accertamento
L’esame di profitto sarà svolto in forma orale. Non si prevede lo svolgimento di prove intermedie di verifica con carattere esonerativo. Al fine di superare l’esame lo studente dovrà dimostrare di conoscere sufficientemente il programma nella sua interezza e di essere in grado di esprimerlo con un linguaggio soddisfacente sul piano sintattico e su quello tecnico. La mancanza totale o parziale di tali elementi basici comporterà la valutazione negativa della prova e dunque la non idoneità dello studente al superamento dell’esame.
Una volta appurata, invece, la presenza di tali requisiti minimi, la valutazione dello studente, finalizzata all’individuazione del voto finale (da 18 a 30) verrà effettuata mediante i parametri qui di seguito riportati nell’apposita griglia:
| Votazione | Conoscenza e comprensione dell’argomento | Capacità di analisi e di sintesi | Utilizzo di referenze |
| Non idoneo | Importanti carenze.
Significative inaccuratezze |
Irrilevanti. Frequenti generalizzazioni. Incapacità di sintesi | Completamente inappropriato |
| 18-20 | A livello soglia. Imperfezioni evidenti | Capacità appena sufficienti | Appena appropriato |
| 21-23 | Conoscenza routinaria | È in grado di analisi e sintesi corrette. Argomenta in modo logico e coerente | Utilizza le referenze standard |
| 24-26 | Conoscenza buona | Ha capacità di analisi e di sintesi buone. Gli argomenti sono espressi coerentemente | Utilizza le referenze standard |
| 27-29 | Conoscenza più che buona | Ha notevoli capacità di analisi e di sintesi | Ha approfondito gli argomenti |
| 30-30L | Conoscenza ottima | Ha ottime capacità di analisi e di sintesi | Importanti approfondimenti |
