3. Prevention in the penal field
It is within the penal field, perhaps, in the world of prisons and penitentiaries, that the words 'repression', 'prevention' and 'correction' find their way into the 18th and 19th centuries more frequently than before. The already mentioned Petitti of Roreto, who was writing and actively involved in Turin during the years of Don Bosco’s formation and the first Oratory experiences, provides us with rich information on the use of the words just quoted.48
In a memorandum with wide historical and theoretical vision, which deals with the various methods to provide assistance to people charged with crimes and those found guilty both during and after the judiciary and penal procedures, Petitti distinguishes three forms of 'detention': preventive, for those who have been charged; repressive, for those who have been found guilty and condemned to a short- term punishment; corrective, for those who have been condemned to a longer-term punishment. The terms are seen in reference to the different goals to be achieved, together with the treatments and corrective punishment to be used. The first type of detention, preventive, has to do with “men who were imprudent and were arrested, but who are far from being truly inclined to do harm”. The second type of detention, repressive, is reserved for quite a few young people who are Bindoli (swindlers, cheats), or scatter-brained but not yet corrupt; for other younger people “guilty of minor crimes”, or “condemned to light correctional punishments, or even guilty of very small crimes, but not yet truly evil”. The third type of detention, corrective, is reserved for people who have been condemned for crimes calling for long-term punishment and offers a twofold advantage: it prevents the increase of corruption and its spread to others who belong to the previous categories, but above all it helps achieve the main goal for which punishments are given, namely, their 'correction'.49
Naturally, for each type of detention, a corresponding separate type of prison had to be created: a preventive prison, a repressive prison, a corrective prison and some other special prisons.50
The theme of prevention has its own specific value, however, when it is a question of anticipating the occurrence of a crime, of dealing with whatever happens after preventive detention, judiciary and penal intervention and its respective 'correction'. In this case the term 'prevention' assumes a double meaning: first of all it means completely preventing the occurrence of crime; when crimes have been committed, it means bringing about a 'corrective action' through a re-education program and consequent renewal, in order to prevent any re-offending. Along these lines both the aristocrat from Milan, Caesar Beccaria (l738-l794), and the English philanthropist John Howard (1726-1790) were famous.
The break-through work by Caesar Beccaria Dei Delitti E Delle Pene (On crimes and punishments)), published in 1764, has a chapter which deals with Come si prevengono i delitti (How to prevent crimes).
It is better to prevent crimes than to punish them. This is the main goal of any good
legislation which is the art of leading men to achieve the maximum of happiness and
minimum of unhappiness possible”. 51 Then he indicated some of the means of prevention:
‘The nation’s efforts should be fully concentrated on the keeping of clear and simple laws,
making sure the citizens are only afraid of the laws and not of men, fighting against
ignorance, rewarding virtue.”52 He finally concluded by pointing out the most secure
means of all, education. “Finally, the most secure yet most difficult means for preventing
48 Later, Chapter 10 section 1, we will speak of the involvement with Don Bosco in a charitable and educational initiative
supported by the Count in 1846-1849
49 C.I. Petitti di Roreto, Della condizione attuale delle carceri in Opere scelte, I, 487-489.
50 ibid, I, 499, 507-510..
51 C. Beccaria, Dei delitti e delle pene, ed. G. Frnacioni with Le edizioni italiane del “Dei delitti e delle pene” by Luigi
Firpo, (Milan: Mediobanca 1984), #41, 121.
52 C. Beccaria, paras 41-44, 121-126.