The rehabilitative function of punishment. Prison libraries. AIB national conference (Nuoro, 4–5 October 2025)

Abstract

This paper presents the national AIB conference "The rehabilitative function of punishment. Prison libraries", held in Nuoro on 3–4 October 2025, focusing on the role of prison libraries as key tools for inclusion, learning, and rehabilitation. The event, awarded the Medal of the President of the Republic, provided a broad forum for discussion among institutions, professionals, and third-sector organizations on policies, practices, and future perspectives of library services in correctional facilities. Through four thematic sessions and three poster sessions, the conference addressed issues such as reading as a fundamental right, the relationship between prisons and local communities, the integration of institutional planning with associative initiatives, and the regulatory and professional development of the field, with particular attention to the IFLA Guidelines and prison-based university programs. The conference highlighted the value of libraries as spaces for personal growth and social reintegration, emphasizing the strategic role of librarians and Reading Pacts in fostering educational continuity and strengthening connections between the 'inside' and the 'outside' of prison walls.