Europe's last remaining prison island, which lies off the coast of Tuscany, marked a major milestone last month with the launch of its 12th vintage of Gorgona bianco, a yield of 9,000 bottles. Gorgona, a "small, serene island with pastel-colored houses," could easily be mistaken for a "tropical oasis" were it not for the many Jeeps labeled Polizia Penitenziaria, said Harpers Wine.Â
But prisoners who serve long sentences for serious crimes "find a new purpose" at the Gorgona Agricultural Penal Colony by participating in several rehabilitation programs, including vine husbandry and wine-making. While the reoffending rate for Italy's prison population is about 85%, it's 0% for those who participate in the wine-making program. The 90 or so inmates who successfully apply to serve their sentences on Gorgona live in concrete buildings where they "cook their own food" and "tend their own garden for fresh vegetables."Â
Although Gorgona is relaxed, it has a "zero-tolerance policy about what is and is not acceptable behavior." Inmates follow a "no-nonsense 10 Commandments," including a ban on drug possession or testing positive for drugs. Any inmate violating the rules "ends his stay here and is sent to another prison."Â
Inmates are paid at the same rate as professionals performing the same tasks on the mainland. "When they leave the island, they have a good amount of money to buy a car, pay rent, and so the recidivism rate is low," said Lamberto Frescobaldi, the president of wine producer Marchesi de' Frescobaldi, which works with the inmates. "If you leave prison with cash in your pocket, you will be less inclined to commit a crime." |