Research
Observatory for the Promotion of Democratic Security Policies
The Observatory, established at CRIMePO under a cooperation agreement between the Municipality of Milan and the University of Milan, aims to broaden knowledge of security-related phenomena and to strengthen the capacity of local authorities to address security issues while respecting rights and freedoms and actively involving individuals and communities.
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Observatory on criminal and security legislation
The Observatory is developing a continuously updated database to track the numbers, types, content, and overall scope of punitive legislative acts passed by the Italian legislature. Additionally, it aims to publish an annual report on the evolution of criminal and security legislation in Italy.
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The Use of Force and Its Limits in the Penitentiary Context
The research, funded through PSR grants by the University of Milan, aims to explore the challenges surrounding the use of force in the prison system by gathering the experiences and perspectives of prison staff.
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The Determinants of Urban Security Policies
The project aims to identify the reasons behind the rise of increasingly punitive security policies over the past thirty years. Specifically, it empirically examines bottom-up models (policies as a response to citizen demands) and top-down models (policies as a tool used by elites to shape public opinion) to determine which is more explanatory of the Italian context.
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Police and Youth with Migrant Backgrounds in the San Siro District of Milan
The study investigates the relationship between young people with a migrant background and the police through a mixed-method research approach in the San Siro district of Milan.
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How do minority positions shape women’s routes out of crime? Intersectional perspectives on female desistance
The article explores the role of minority positions in women's desistance through an intersectional perspective. It shows how discrimination, social recognition, and cultural belonging shape opportunities for leaving crime behind.
Academic reflections on recent U.S. comments regarding the International Criminal Court
In the July 16 episode of “Il Mondo”, the podcast by Internazionale, Professor Chantal Meloni analyzes the tensions arising from the United States in relation to the International Criminal Court, particularly following Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s comments against this independent institution.
Carceral hegemony: Confinement, race and state formation in Italy
The article introduces the concept of “carceral hegemony” to examine the role of confinement in the formation of the Italian state. Through a historical-sociological perspective, it explores the relationship between punitive practices, national belonging, and processes of social exclusion.
The latest issue of "Eutopica: La rivista delle autonomie locali" is out
The second 2026 issue of Eutopica: La rivista delle autonomie locali, titled "Toward Democratic Security: The Response of Cities," has been published, edited by Roberto Cornelli and Gian Guido Nobili.
Political Reform in Colombia: A Commitment to Democratic Opening in Order to Build Peace
The working paper “Political Reform in Colombia: A Commitment to Democratic Opening in Order to Build Peace”, written by Antonio José Lizarazo Ocampo and published by the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law & International Law in June 2026, addresses the issue of political reform in Colombia as a central element in peacebuilding, in the implementation of the commitments established by the 2016 Final Peace Agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC-EP.
Comments&Opinions
From “secure” rights to security “at the cost” of rights: the paradigm shift of the latest security decree
The new security decree, Legislative Decree 24/02/2026 no. 23, converted into law on 24 April 2026, represents the latest crucial turning point in a gradual paradigm shift. Criminal law, which should constitute the extrema ratio, to be used only when all other forms of public policy intervention have failed, becomes the legislature’s first response to any sign of social conflict. This is a securitarian drift that strikes at the very essence of the liberal democratic state.
“We want change but not like this”: Iran between violence and the desire for liberation
What is the relationship between violence and freedom? Can violence truly emancipate? Taking the situation in Iran as a starting point, this is a reflection on one of the most persistent promises in recent political history: that violence can be an instrument of liberation. A promise that, in practice, so often turns out to be a betrayal.
The case of the ‘Weekend Snipers’ in Sarajevo and violence as a consumable practice
Reflecting on the Commodification of Violence: The Case of the ‘Weekend Snipers’.
Violence and security in the favelas of Rio De Janeiro: between failed policies and “bare life”
In Rio de Janeiro, a comprehensive reform of public security and law enforcement is urgently required, one that enables authorities to operate without resorting to militarized strategies, which, as demonstrated over the years, have consistently proven ineffective for both the safety of police officers and the civilian population of the favelas. Drawing on an analysis of the large-scale police operation carried out on October 28, 2025, in the Latin American metropolis, this article aims to offer a critical reflection on intervention strategies in areas controlled by armed groups, highlighting their limitations, social impacts, and the need for structural reform.
