THE NEW EDITION OF "PLAY FOR THE FUTURE" BROADENS ITS SCOPE

Promoting the social reintegration of young people involved in the criminal justice system through sports education and career guidance programmes: this is the goal of the "Play for the Future" project, promoted by Fondazione Milan and Fondazione CDP, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice. Launched in 2023, the initiative has been strengthened in this new edition with the addition of a new strategic partner, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). Through its Youth and School Sector, FIGC will be responsible for organizing the educational programme for young participants and issuing certificates of attendance.

The first edition of the project was completed in July 2024, reaching a total of approximately 100 young people undergoing probation measures through activities focused on sports education, career guidance, and job placement in the cities of Naples, Bari, Catania, and Palermo.

Following the excellent results achieved during the first edition, the second cycle of the project was launched in November 2024 and will run for three years. The initiative has been expanded with important new developments: in addition to minors and young adults subject to external penal measures - such as probation or community-based sentences - it now also includes young people held in Juvenile Penal Institutions. The project has grown to extend its network beyond the three original cities - Naples, Catania, and Palermo - to also include Milan and Airola (province of Benevento). Each year, two parallel programmes are activated in each location: one for approximately 20 detained youths and one for around 15 young people under external penal measures.

The renewal of the project for a three-year period stems from the desire to ensure continuity and stability for an initiative that addresses an urgent need: in 2024, over 13,000 minors who committed criminal offenses in Italy were under the care of the Juvenile Social Service Offices, with 2,649 of them enrolled in probation programs and the 95% being male. The majority of minors are subject to alternative measures carried out within the juvenile justice community system, confirming that detention remains a last-resort solution and is increasingly being replaced by educational and restorative justice pathways. This project is rooted precisely in this context, offering activities within the framework of the external penal area, including training, career orientation, and meetings with coaches and educators from sports clubs. These activities provide young participants with the opportunity to build concrete foundations for their future, going beyond the punitive aspect of the justice system.

"Play for the Future" operates within this context, offering activities in the external penal area, including training, job orientation, and meetings with coaches and trainers from sports clubs. These activities provide the youths with opportunities to build concrete foundations for their future beyond penal sanctions.

"Play for the Future" is carried out in collaboration with the pedagogical staff of the Juvenile Penal Institutions and the social service officers of the Juvenile Social Service Offices within the Ministry of Justice - Department of Juvenile and Community Justice. These professionals are responsible for identifying the beneficiaries to be involved in the project activities and for monitoring the progress of their inclusion.

Within the Juvenile Penal Institutions, course participants have the opportunity to learn the basic concepts of football and acquire the skills necessary to assist an instructor in planning, conducting, and managing sports activities. At the end of the course, the youths will receive a certificate of attendance for the "Grassroots Course Level E – Social Football." Afterwards, they will be able to put what they have learned into practice, first within the detention facility and later with external sports clubs once their penal measure has ended.

As in the first edition, for minors and young adults subject to external penal measures, the project also includes the start of sports education and job orientation pathways, in which each participant will be personally supported to draft a skills assessment and begin a process aimed at facilitating their inclusion in the workforce.

Local companies, sports centers, and amateur sports clubs will be involved, and assistant coach courses will be organized. At the end of the orientation phase, two beneficiaries from each center will be placed in an internship program with local associations and sports clubs to gain their first work experience.

The initiative aims to enrich the sports programs and workshops within the Juvenile Penal Institutions, transforming them into opportunities for growth, learning, and future career guidance. The activities, which also include a values-based workshop, will use the playing field and football as educational tools. Each session will focus on themes such as inclusion, courage, commitment, sharing, loyalty, respect, creativity, humility, identity, and sacrifice.

Carlo Nordio, Minister of Justice, stated: "Punishment aims at reintegration, especially for minors. The two key elements to combine the certainty of punishment with its rehabilitative function are work, which protects from the dangers of life, namely idleness and need, and sport. I wish that initiatives like this would proliferate in the fields of other sports and employment, as inmates approaching release are often overwhelmed by anxiety about work and fear of the future. To carry out a sports activity, what is needed are: willing staff, skilled coaches, financial resources, and here we have all of these, but above all, in prison, what is needed is space. Space is the place where one can work and play sports. That is why today's initiative has won my enthusiastic support."

Paolo Scaroni, President of AC Milan and Fondazione Milan, stated: "This project demonstrates how collaboration between public institutions and the third sector can have a concrete and positive impact on the lives of many young people in our country. We are pleased to welcome FIGC among the initiative’s promoters and to expand our commitment to Milan, which is our city, strengthening Fondazione Milan's dedication to the local community."

Giovanni Gorno Tempini, President of Fondazione CDP and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, commented: "The Play for the Future project represents a high-impact social initiative that combines sport and education to open new paths of inclusion for young people facing difficult times. The goal is twofold: to provide tools for getting back on track and to prevent the loss of human capital. Fondazione CDP recognizes this initiative as an example of intervention capable of producing real and lasting benefits in the lives of the young people involved. To generate change, acting together is essential: the collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, Fondazione Milan, and, from this year, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) strengthens the project and broadens its scope, while the recently signed three-year protocol marks an important step in consolidating and measuring the results over time. Every young person who manages to get back on their feet is a victory for the community."

Gabriele Gravina, President of FIGC, said: "We are proud to contribute to the development of such an important initiative. Young people represent the future of our country, and FIGC, due to the numbers and engagement generated by the world of football, is aware of its role within society and feels a strong responsibility to promote educational processes across all areas of social life, from sports fields to schools, including prisons. Thanks to our collaboration with the Vatican Foundation Scholas Occurrentes, we have gained significant experience in this sector, which we are happy to offer to this ambitious project. I want to thank Minister Nordio, the Juvenile Justice Department, Fondazione CDP, and Fondazione Milan, particularly active in the social field, for their support. Our focus on young people is a priority, so much so that we have recently amended the Sports Justice Code to allow a portion of sanctions imposed on underage footballers to be converted into socially useful activities, with the aim of fostering the full maturation of the athlete."