by InTrieste
Interviews: FVG councilor for health, Riccardo Riccardi; Rector of the University of Trieste, Roberto Di Lenarda
In a bold move blending academia, social reintegration, and justice reform, the University of Trieste inaugurated a new multidisciplinary hub on Tuesday aimed at supporting restorative and community-based justice programs. The initiative is among the first of its kind in Italy and reflects a growing European emphasis on rehabilitation over retribution.
Located in a dedicated space on the university’s Montfort campus, the hub will serve as both a training center and a support platform for individuals involved in the criminal justice system — including those serving non-custodial sentences — as well as victims of crime. The opening ceremony drew regional officials, justice experts, and representatives from the non-profit sector.
“This is a culturally significant step,” said Riccardo Riccardi, the Regional Councillor for Health, during the launch event. “It’s a courageous choice, one that recognizes the potential for those who have made mistakes to reintegrate into society. It’s not about offering leniency, but about refusing to create outcasts who feed social tension.”
The hub is part of two broader projects, Ripar(t)iamo and Inclusione, confronto, trattamento, funded by Italy’s Ministry of Justice through the Cassa delle Ammende, with co-financing from the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region. It represents a concrete application of the Cartabia Justice Reform, which repositions restorative justice as not merely an alternative to punishment, but as a transformative tool for personal and societal reconciliation.
Structured around a partnership between the university and the regional government, the initiative aims to deliver high-level training in conflict resolution and the social reintegration of individuals under judicial supervision. It will also offer victim support services and facilitate community dialogue, with the collaboration of third-sector organizations.
“In these physical spaces,” Riccardi emphasized, “we can build relationships that support both recovery and inclusion — even for victims.”
The launch of the hub comes amid a wider push across Europe to reframe justice systems in ways that are more human-centered and less reliant on punitive models. For Trieste, a city with a long-standing tradition of social innovation, the project offers a new frontier in blending education, justice, and community repair.
As the initiative gains traction, observers hope it could serve as a model for other regions in Italy and beyond, pointing the way toward a more restorative future.
