He went on holiday to the paradise island of Pianosa and never wanted to go back. It was – and with good results.
When Giulia Manca visited the former Italian prison island of Pianosa in 2011, she was looking forward to relaxing in the sun before returning home.
But 12 years after checking into the seaside Hotel Milena, staffed by supervised and paroled convicts, Giulia stays on an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea known as Alcatraz.
Pianosa Island in Italy. Photographic pictures
The only woman living in the ghost village of Pianosa, now part of the Tuscan Archipelago’s marine park, Manca works as a hotel manager and supervisor of the island’s rehabilitation program managed by Tuscan prison officials and Arnera. A social mission organization to help vulnerable people like prisoners reintegrate into society.
“I stayed in the hotel for a week and didn’t want to leave,” Manca told CNN. “This is a unique vacation and rehabilitation program that impressed me, giving these inmates a second chance at life.”
A second chance hotel?
Guests pose for a photo with convicts who work at a hotel in Pianosa. Photo courtesy of Giulia Manca
“I fell in love with Pianosa. Its calm, clear and heavenly turquoise sea, quiet starry nights.”
Once nicknamed the Devil’s Island, Pianosa, located between Corsica and the mainland, is now a delightful retreat favored for its beautiful beaches and lush vegetation.
Manka is one of only two permanent residents of the island: she is a prison guard and ten male convicts work at the Hotel Milena as cooks, gardeners, waiters, beach cleaners and dishwashers. on the island.
Surrounded by pine trees, Hotel Milena has frescoed ceilings, 11 rooms with wooden furniture and a stunning view of the sea, as well as a large patio where inmates serve drinks to guests at night, a restaurant and a bar.
Interior of Hotel Milena. Photo courtesy of Giulia Manca
Manka was a guest at the year-round hotel when, within days, the then-manager informed him that the establishment was facing financial problems and was in danger of closing. If that happens, the inmates will have to be transferred back to the prison and soon finish their time in Pianosa.
“I felt that I had to do something to help them or they would have to go back behind bars, without a chance to have a fresh start in small cells and learn a job that would help them once released,” says Manka, who previously said. Worked as a travel agent.
Growing up in Tuscany, Manca decided to stay and take a position as a hotel manager. He says he initially worked for free, using his management skills to secure the hotel’s future.
In just a few years, Manca has managed to change things considerably, and Hotel Milena has become a popular wedding and birthday party venue, with guests impressed by the hotel’s unconventional staff.
“The Alcatraz of the Tyrrhenian Sea”
Photo courtesy of Giulia Manca
Located near another Italian prison island, Corgona, Pianosa was built in the 17th century to house outlaws, bandits and revolutionaries.
The island served as the site of a maximum security prison until 1998 when the prison was closed. Some of its inhabitants eventually left and Pianosa was deserted for many years.
Visitors were not allowed on the island until relatively recently, and visitors could only come on boat trips organized and booked through specific tour operators.
To join the rehabilitation program at Hotel Milena, applicants must have already served at least a third of their time in prison and must pass rigorous psychological and social assessment tests.
In the past 12 years, Manca has handled about a hundred parolees convicted of various crimes, including murder.
Noting that many of the prisoners had been convicted of “stealing daisies”, Manca always felt comfortable on the island and considered it a safe haven.
He believes ex-offenders should be given the opportunity to contribute to society rather than spend more time behind bars.
“I believe in the power of redemption, even criminals should be given a second chance, they should not rot behind bars but actively engage in rehabilitation,” he says. “I want to see them come back to life through work.”
Known as the “Queen of Pianosa,” Giulia Manca admits the dangers of being the only woman in a gang of criminals raised eyebrows among friends and family.
“People kept telling me I was crazy to do this kind of work,” says Manka, a member of Arnera. For being “the only woman working and living with male criminals who have not been charged with petty crimes.”
“But I never felt scared or worried. I never thought about it again. I feel safer with them than with all the crazy people running into town and you never know who you might bump into.
Pianosa served as the site of a maximum security prison until 1998. Photo courtesy of Giulia Manca
Being in charge of a group of offenders is challenging, and Manka says she does her best to create clear boundaries to ensure the rehabilitation program is effective.
As he explains, his relationship with his staff is one of mutual respect, and he’s managed to find a balance between keeping his distance and being authoritative but open in order to support them.
Every week, Manca boards a boat for the three-hour sea voyage to mainland Tuscany, taking care of errands and bureaucratic matters, leaving at dawn and returning to Pianosa at night.
Manca points out that unlike in neighboring Gorgona, where prisoners must return to their cells after being released, those in Pianosa are allowed to walk freely.
High success rate
Here, inmates receive a monthly salary for their hotel jobs and stay in former prison quarters that have been renovated into comfortable studios with private rooms with a gym, television, kitchen and bathroom.
They are also given mobile phones to keep in touch with their families.
According to a 2020 Council of Europe report, Italian prisons with 120 inmates for every 100 beds are considered the most inhumane and overcrowded in Europe, while prison suicides have increased by 300% since 1960, with 75% recidivism.
Therefore, the pianosa is a very attractive alternative for those nearing the end of the sentence.
Manca is proud of the success of the “pianoza model”, explaining that the rate of return to crime after spending time on the island has dropped to 0.01%.
“At night they are free to go to the beach and swim,” Manka explains. “However, they have to leave their accommodation early in the morning and return at a certain time in the evening. They are still under surveillance and the guard keeps an eye on them.”
If offenders behave well, they can serve the rest of their sentences working in a hotel, and some have spent five to ten years here.
But those who do not show willingness to change risk will be sent back to prison to complete the remainder of their sentence.
“All of them have served at least a third of their sentences in prison and have undergone rigorous psychological and social assessment tests to determine if they are no longer dangerous and suitable for a rehabilitation programme. [e] They are truly sorry for what they have done,” Manka says.
“Every day they have to show their willingness to work and prepare for a better life. I don’t accept slips”.
Manca likes to stay in touch with those who left Pianosa to start a new life, putting the skills they learned on the island into practice through social media. He explains that some have gone on to become prison counselors in other prisons after working at the hotel.
Manka is very proud of his role in the process and says that those who initially doubted his decision to stay at Pianosa years ago have now changed their minds.
“Even my daughter Yolanda, who was a little skeptical about my work as a child, appreciates the island and understands the importance of what I’m doing, and now she tells me I’m lucky,” Manka concludes.