The C.P.I.A. 1 - Siena is an education center for adults located in Siena, Italy that offers various educational courses. It includes two institutions and provides education to adults and young adults who did not complete compulsory education. The center organizes courses in two prisons to provide education opportunities to inmates. Through the Grundtvig partnership "Second Chance", teachers exchanged ideas with other European countries and proposed new activities like inviting artists to visit the prisons. They also created a magazine written by inmates to help change perceptions of ex-convicts.

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C.P.I.A. 1 - SIENA
C.P.I.A. 1 - Siena, Centro
Provinciale per l’istruzione
degli adulti, is an
education centre for adult
students.
It is located in the
province of Siena, a lively
city in the centre of Italy.
It includes two
institutions: CTP
Poggibonsi and CTP
Piancastagnaio.

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C.P.I.A. 1 - SIENA
C.P.I.A. 1 Siena is a structure of the Italian Ministry of
Education, University and Research which offers
education to adults and young adults who have not
completed their compulsory education or who are not in
possession of the qualification for the first cycle of
education, in the perspective of lifelong learning, in
order to acquire knowledge and skills necessary to
exercise active citizenship and face the changes of
society.

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C.P.I.A. 1 - SIENA
The C.P.I.A. is a type of autonomous educational
institution with a specific organizational and
educational structure.
It is organized into a network of Territorial
Services, has its own staff and its own governing
bodies like the other schools, though adapted to the
particular users.
It establishes a close contact with local authorities,
with the other schools and institutions and with the
world of work.

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C.P.I.A. 1 - SIENA
The courses are usually attended
by participants aged over 16
with special needs:
Migrants who need to learn
Italian language and obtain a
certification;
Young adults and adults who
have abandoned school education
and need a qualification;
People who need to improve
foreign language and ICT.

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C.P.I.A. 1 - SIENA
Our school offers various courses:
Courses of Italian language for migrants who want to live and obtain a
residence permit – certification of level A2 - Common European Framework of
Reference for Languages;
Foreign Language courses (English and Spanish) for adult people: levels A1,
A2, B1, B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages;
ICT courses: basic and advanced levels;
First level - first educational period aimed at obtaining a certificate of the
first cycle of education (former middle school);
First level - second educational period aimed at obtaining a title certifying
the acquisition of basic skills related to compulsory education.

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C.P.I.A. 1 - SIENA
First level - first educational period:
400 hours + 200 more hours for students who need to
increase their knowledge and competences;
Subjects: Italian, English, History, Geography, Math and
Science.
Final exam to get the certification of the first cycle
of education.

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C.P.I.A. 1 - SIENA
First level - second educational period
825 hours, divided into lessons at school and distance
learning (FAD);
Subjects: Italian, History, Geography, English, French, Math,
Science, Law and Economics.
Final exam to obtain a certification of basic skills related
to compulsory education.
Agreements with the other local institutions which allow the
students to continue their education and obtain the high
school graduation.

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EDUCATION IN PRISON
Our school organizes courses into two prisons in the
Valdelsa area:
Siena – Casa Circondariale
Santo Spirito
In this prison there are usually
people who are waiting for a trial
or have to spend a short period
of imprisonment.
San Gimignano – Casa di
Reclusione Ranza
In this place there are people
who have to serve a long term
sentence. There are two
security levels here: medium
and maximum.

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EDUCATION IN PRISON
Education in prison is very
important for the social
rehabilitation of the inmates, it
represents an opportunity to
develop their cultural and social
skills and it is a benefit for the
entire society.
Education surely plays an
important role in reducing crimes
as it motivates the offenders to
change something in their lives in
order to be actively included in
society.

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EDUCATION IN PRISON
Basic literacy and numeracy courses:
many inmates cannot read or write, so our
courses represent their first opportunity to
learn basic skills.
First level - first educational period:
the inmates who have basic skills can
attend structured courses and get
formal qualifications.

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EDUCATION IN PRISON
Other activities are organized by the
educators and voluntary associations:
theatre, concerts, singing, cinema,
painting.
In both prisons there is a small painting
room, a library, a small gym and a football
ground.

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EDUCATION IN PRISON
Problems:
Lack of prison officers to ensure the security of the inmates,
mobility of the inmates, overcrowding;
Most inmates are disadvantaged people: immigrants who don’t
have a job and can’t read and write in Italian, people who have family
problems, learning difficulties or disabilities, psychiatric disorders,
drug or alcohol dependence.
Most inmates left school when they were children or teenagers, so
they are sometimes unable to see the benefits of education.

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EDUCATION IN PRISON

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SECOND CHANCE
The GRUNDTVIG
partnership Second
Chance, focused on teaching
and learning in prison, gives
us the chance to improve the
quality of adult learning in
difficult situations and gives
our school a wider European
dimension.

15. 15
SECOND CHANCE
The teachers and educators involved in the activities
and mobilities of the project had the possibility to
know the educational systems in prison in other
European countries and share ideas and
methodologies.
The inmates had the chance to express their ideas
about education in prison and outside, they also
became aware of the importance of education in
order to be included in society.

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SECOND CHANCE
ACTIVITIES OF THE FIRST YEAR:
• Interviews and life stories;
• Focus groups;
• Creation of the e-book.

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SECOND CHANCE
Impact on teachers and inmates:
• The experience of the interviews has been positive and
useful for both the inmates and the teachers, because it
helped us to know our students better, to understand
better their situations and to consider them as human
beings who deserve a second chance, not just as
inmates. They also helped us to be aware of how much
our job as teachers is important to them.

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SECOND CHANCE
ACTIVITIES OF THE SECOND YEAR:
• Exchanging activities: postcards, letters,
pictures, paintings made by the inmates;
• New proposals to improve our educational
activities;
• Creation of an e-guide containing the best
practices.

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SECOND CHANCE

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SECOND CHANCE
OUR NEW PROPOSALS:
1. To give the possibility to external specialists,
professionals or volunteers to take part in the classes;
2. To use alternative methods, for example games, songs,
films.
3. Trying to change the society’s perception about ex
inmates.

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SECOND CHANCE
1. To give the possibility to external specialists,
professionals or volunteers to take part in the
classes.
ACTION: inviting famous people and artists, for
example Italian singers or actors, to visit the prison
and talk to inmates, in order to open the gates of the
prison to the external reality.
WHEN: March-April 2015

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4 March 2015 - Cristicchi at
Siena Prison, “Santo Spirito”

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SECOND CHANCE
• Simone Cristicchi is an
italian artist, become popular
in 2007 when he won San
Remo Festival with a song
about the mental disease.
• In the last years, he focused
attention on the theme of
Memory: “Mio nonno è morto
in guerra” that is a collection
of stories about the II World
War and “Magazzino 18”,
dealing with the Istrian,
Dalmatian and Julian exodus
after the II World War.

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SECOND CHANCE
• Cristicchi has immediately accepted to visit
our prison in Siena and meet the inmates.
• In a very little room, in front of 40 or 50
inmates, he sang some of his greatest hits
accompanied just by a classical guitar and he
performed some pieces from his theatrical
plays.
• At the end of the meeting with the inmates,
he was visibly touched.

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SECOND CHANCE
The inmates thoughts, the day after:
• “I didn’t know this artist before but I will remember this
day for the rest of my life”
• “Cristicchi is a very amazing artist that can range from
the pop music to the historical tale. Wonderful day!”
• “Happyness could be Cristicchi, who, after a
performance outside, recognizes me and tells me: How
are you? I am happy to see you here”

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SECOND CHANCE
2. To use alternative methods, for example
games, songs, films.
ACTION: using more motivating methods
and producing didactic materials to improve
our activities.
WHEN: school year 2014-2015

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SECOND CHANCE
Teaching through documentaries related to the different
subjects;
Using films, videos and songs;
Project about traditional fairy tales and drawings;
Producing teaching/learning materials used by the
inmates and students outside, available on the school
website: http://www.ctppertini.it/ctp/

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SECOND CHANCE
3. Trying to change the society’s
perception about ex inmates.
ACTION: writing articles on newspapers
and social networks about our activies in
prison.
WHEN: School year 2014-2015

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SECOND CHANCE
The magazine written by the
inmates of Siena Prison
SPIRITO IN LIBERTÀ

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SECOND CHANCE
SPIRITO IN LIBERTÀ
The magazine is published every three months thanks
to the editors of the newspaper LA NAZIONE – Siena.
It is delivered with LA NAZIONE and some copies are
given to the inmates so that they can send them to
their families.
The articles are written by the inmates who attend the
literacy course.

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SECOND CHANCE
SPIRITO IN LIBERTÀ
The inmates write about all the activities organized in
prison: cultural events, theatre, school, painting.
There are interviews to the people who work in prison:
teachers, educators, volunteers, etc.
The articles are checked by our teacher Elisa Faleri and
sent to the editors.
The inmates have the possibility to communicate their
ideas and opinions to the external society.

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SECOND CHANCE
Articles about our
activities

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SECOND CHANCE
Future plans:
Continuing the implementation of our new proposals;
Inviting more artists and professionals;
Advertising our activities in prison and let the society
know about the situation of the inmates;
Improving our professional skills through new European
projects.