by Guisela Chiarella
A Mother’s Day event held at the Trieste Correctional Facility on Saturday turned the spotlight on the challenges faced by incarcerated mothers and pregnant women. The initiative, part of the national campaign Madri Fuori della Società (Mothers Outside Society), brought together inmates, volunteers from Nati per Leggere, and local officials for a moment of reflection and solidarity.
Organized by the City of Trieste’s prisoners’ rights ombudswoman, Elisabetta Burla, the gathering emphasized the importance of maintaining maternal bonds and access to reading, even behind bars. Regional Councillor Giulia Massolino, who took part in the event, used the occasion to draw attention to what she called the “dramatic” conditions in regional prisons, particularly in light of Italy’s new security decree.
Massolino criticized the impact of the law on incarcerated mothers and pregnant women, calling for greater institutional accountability and regional action. The event served not only as a gesture of care and inclusion for the women detained at the facility, but also as a platform to raise awareness of broader systemic issues affecting prisons across the region.
