At a prison that detains murderers and Mafiosi in Velletri, a small town south of Rome, in Italy, prisoners play an active role in cultivating organic fruit and vegetables and making fresh juices, jams, tomatoes, olive oil and wine.

The prison has state-of-the-art food production zones including the latest computerised fertilising systems in its orchards, and micro-filtered wine-making equipment in its cantina.

“The aim is to give detainees a useful skill to take with them when they leave prison,” says Rodolfo Craia, an agronomist who oversees the teaching of small groups of prisoners who volunteer their work.

“These days it’s hard to find places that teach you how to make olive oil and wine. Although the work is seasonal it’s highly sought after.

“When the olive oil comes out you just want to take a hunk of warm bread and catch the drips. It’s just so green and fresh.”

The harvested fruit (including grapes, peaches, cherries, strawberries and figs) and vegetables (including tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines,) are incorporated into the prison menus. The prisoners even get 250ml of wine per day in a plastic bottle.

“With all this fresh organic produce they eat better than most of us,” says Craia.

“In general the quality and quantity of food is of an excellent standard – the diets are varied and healthy. The menu is based on typical Italian cooking, including pasta and minestrone and other Mediterranean specialities.

“The coffee is superb in prison prepared with extreme care and attention, and sweets and pastries made with as much imagination as possible in the environment.

“In prison you’re never short of time to think and the creative genius of Italians is expressed in the most unexpected ways.”

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