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Italy Long-term prisoners
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Testimonial

Marcello dell'Anna (III)

MARCELLO DELL’ANNA has spent most of his life in prison. He was sentenced to ergastolo ostativo (life imprisonment prison without the possibility of parole) when he was 23, when he was one of the leaders of la Sacra Corona Unita (an Italian Mafia based in the Puglia region). Today, he is 49: he is held in the Badu’e Carros à Nuoro prison in Sardinia.

He was willing to enter into an exchange of letters with the Swiss journalist Laurence Bolomey as well as the regular publication of his letters on the Prison Insider website.

ON 26 DECEMBER 2016, Marcello Dell’Anna was allowed a special leave to spend Christmas with his family. Over the course of a twelve hour period, Marcello and Laurence exchanged three emails, which are reproduced here.

On 26 December 2016, Marcello Dell’Anna was allowed a special leave to spend Christmas with his family. Over the course of a twelve hour period, Marcello and Laurence exchanged three emails.

MARCELLO > LAURENCE. 19h45 — “You will certainly be surprised to read this email. It’s Marcello Dell’Anna and I was given special permission to visit my family for Christmas (…) I want to take this opportunity to send you holiday greetings and my wishes that this new year will be better for all. All my best. I go back to prison the day after tomorrow. Warm greetings, Marcello”

LAURENCE > MARCELLO. 22h29 — “Dear Marcello. What a surprise. I am so happy that you were able to spend Christmas with your family. This, I imagine, has allowed a little humanity to enter your world. I don’t know how to wish you a happy new year when I know that you are returning to prison in a few days. I can perhaps wish you a change in the law and hope that you will be granted more time to spend with your loved ones. And I also wish that we can continue our correspondence. Have a good evening. Best wishes, Laurence”

MARCELLO > LAURENCE. 7h43 — “Dear Laurence, You have no idea how this freedom makes me feel. Everything is on a larger scale - space, time, objects. I even find it difficult to walk down the street, as I am overwhelmed by the frantic life around me. No obligation, but I await your response in real time… Yes, computer technology overwhelms me as well.”

— Published on 12 April 2017

Marcello dell’Anna

• Read Marcello’s first letter
• Read Marcello’s second letter.
• Read Marcello’s third letter.

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