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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ORIZZONTI (CURAE – Performing Arts Festival’s fourth edition)
Various locations
‘Stati generali’ on juvenile justice
ExtraLibera – Via Stamira 5, Rome
Down from the Gallows. Death as Punishment: A Contemporary Reflection in Light of Recent Cases in the USA
Cortile del ’700 and Room 201 – University of Milan, Via Festa del Perdono 7, Milan
Laboratory Argentina. An Analysis of Case Law on Crimes Against Humanit
Sala Lauree – University of Milan, Via Conservatorio 7, MilanThe (mis)characterization and (de)legitimizing of apolitical protests in South Africa from the perspective of labeling theory
The article “The (mis)characterization and (de)legitimizing of apolitical protests in South Africa from the perspective of labeling theory” (Frontiers, 2026) examines, through the lens of labeling theory, how media and political portrayals of protests in South Africa can delegitimise the claims of marginalised communities and contribute to justifying repressive responses.
Comments&Opinions
Beyond polarisation: listening to young people, understanding conflict
The events in Milan continue to occupy a prominent place in public debate. Major national newspapers—and others beyond Italy—have reported on the demonstrations, frequently resorting to sensationalist headlines and delegitimizing labels such as “thugs” or “maranza” to describe the young people who took part in the protests, thereby producing an undifferentiated representation of the demonstrators.
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’.
