"Madri rom": rappresentazioni, politiche e cosa è importante tenere a mente nel lavoro educativo in carcere = “Roma mothers”: representations, policies and what is important to keep in mind in educational work in prison

The contribution is based on ethnographic research conducted at an Institute for Attenuated Custody for Detained Mothers (Icam) and focuses on the processes of racialization affecting the parenthood of “Roma mothers.” The analysis of political and public discourses accompanying law updates highlights how the otherness attributed to these mothers is constructed, influencing the formulation of discriminatory legislative policies. Interviews with Icam educational staff highlight both the impact of these discriminatory processes on educational work in prison, and the reproduction of social representations of “Roma parents”, within the educators’ discourses. The contribution concludes by identifying key elements to be introduced into pedagogical reflection to mitigate and prevent such negative outcomes.