Although they might just seem like old anecdotes that make for good Hollywood movies, the Italian mafia is still alive and well today.
There are five main organized crime groups in Italy, and the ‘ndrangheta organization is one of the biggest. With an estimated 10,000 members worldwide and an expertise in cocaine, kidnapping and political corruption, they’re as bad as it gets.
But Italy has developed a new strategy to combat the age-old problem that has plagued the land since the 1500s: exile.
After getting arrested for attempted theft and damage to a police officer, 16-year-old Riccardo Cordi’ seemed destined for the life of his mafia ring-leader father, who was gunned down in mob related violence, or his three older brothers, who are all currently serving time for similar crimes.
But instead of sentencing him to prison, the judge exiled Cordi’ and sent him to a Sicilian facility for troubled youth under the legal conclusion that his family seemed “incapable of raising him.”
Under the facility, Cordi’ volunteered with foster children and spent his time in ways he never would have under the ‘Ndrangheta. He even had a personal psychologist with whom he enjoyed social outings and developed a close relationship.
After he finished his two year sentence, Cordi’ was a changed man. He saw the other side of organized crime and how it can tear apart communities. He learned the potential he had outside of the ‘Ndrangheta name. After his 18th birthday, he wrote that he now wants a “clean” life, according to AP News.
America has its own gang problems; however, the majority of these problems don’t spawn from negligent father figures, but instead, from a complete absence of a father figure. A 2002 Department of Justice survey showed that 39 percent of all inmates grew up in fatherless homes. While not everyone who grows up without a father figure is destined for crime, it's a statistic that should be considered when sentencing juveniles.
Regardless of the root of the problem, the only solution seems to lie in proper sentencing with young criminals. These youth need intervention before their crime becomes a permanent lifestyle—before they mischievously influence others. These youth need better role models, opportunities to volunteer and chances to see the world outside of their ring-leader’s scope. Cordi’ received all of these things through his exile.
Unfortunately, America's prisons don't offer these opportunities. Instead, they only seem to perpetuate the problem. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistic, from 2005-2010, “three out of four prisoners in 30 states were arrested within five years of release.” America's prisons don’t work.
Cordi's experience worked. He was able to build his character and turn his life around in an environment that prison or juvenile detention couldn't offer. He helped build a community. He found inner peace. He even helped employ a psychologist. Everybody won.
Cordi’ is the first of 20 young men with whom Italy will try their new solution. If the other 19 men return from their exiles the way Cordi’ returned from his, a similar program for American teenage gang members would be worth a debate.