Valerio Bispuri's 'Prigionieri' Documents Italian Prisons

Valerio Bispuri, born in Rome in 1971, published 'Prigionieri' with Contrasto in 2019, a photographic book exploring the emotional and psychological state of inmates in Italy's major prisons. The project is the third chapter of a 'trilogy of lost freedom', following 'Encerrados', which covered 74 South American prisons over three years. Bispuri began the Italian work after inmates at Poggioreale prison in Naples asked him to document their situation. With permission from the Department of Penitentiary Administration, he expanded the project to ten penitentiaries across Italy, including Regina Coeli in Rome, Ucciardone in Palermo, San Vittore in Milan, Capanne in Perugia, the female section of Rebibbia in Rome, the Giudecca women's prison in Venice, and the Isili penal colony in Sardinia. Bispuri notes that while deprivation of liberty causes similar reactions everywhere, South American inmates show more mutual aid and community spirit despite higher physical violence, whereas Italian inmates exhibit more individualism and depression, reflected in Italy's high prison suicide rates. He describes the jarring experience of leaving prisons like Regina Coeli, located near Rome's nightlife district, and emphasizes that his artistic process prioritizes human connection over photography, often sharing meals with inmates. Most prisoners willingly participated, signing releases. The book, 176 pages, costs €39.