On 22 June 2026, the University of Pisa PARTNER team – Gerardo Pastore, Erica De Vita and Lara Tavoschi – visited Don Bosco Prison in Pisa to share the results of the co-creation process guiding the development of the PARTNER educational training materials.
Before the restitution meeting with people living in prison, the PARTNER team also held a rich exchange with the medical staff, the Educational Area and the Custodial Staff. This preliminary discussion provided an opportunity to share the aims of the meeting, reflect on the development of the training materials and gather further insights from professionals working in the prison context.
The meeting brought together participants from both the men’s and women’s sections of the prison, for a total of 15 people. The session provided an important opportunity to present how their contributions have shaped the training material currently being developed within the project.
The discussion was highly participatory and generated valuable reflections on what health means in prison and beyond. Several recurring themes emerged from the conversation, including information, trust and rights, highlighting the central role these concepts play in promoting health and wellbeing in custodial settings.
Word cloud developed from the PARTNER co-creation activities, highlighting key themes that emerged from participants’ reflections on health in prison.
Participants also shared important insights about the broader impact of health education. Many emphasised that prison can become a place where health awareness grows, creating knowledge and skills that can be carried into life after release. Another key point raised was that some health-related challenges experienced by people living in prison also affect prison staff, underlining the importance of adopting a shared and inclusive approach to health promotion. Gender was also identified as a topic that is rarely discussed in prison settings, despite its relevance to health, well-being, and everyday life.
Drawing made by one of the people living in prison during the PARTNER restitution meeting held at Don Bosco Prison in Pisa on 22 June 2026. The sketch offers a participant’s visual reflection on the shared space of listening, dialogue and co-creation.
The PARTNER team would like to sincerely thank the Prison Director, the Educational Area staff and the Custodial Staff for making this meeting possible. Most importantly, we would like to thank all the people living in prison who participated in the session for their time, attention and thoughtful reflections.
Their voices continue to play a fundamental role in shaping the PARTNER project and in building educational interventions that are relevant, meaningful and responsive to the needs of prison communities.
