University Penitentiary Hubs (Polo Universitario Penitenziario - PUP)

The right to higher education is guaranteed under Article 34 of the Italian Constitution, regardless of the living conditions of those wishing to undertake a training course.
University Penitentiary Hubs (Poli Universitari Pentenziari - PUP) are one of the instruments whereby universities, in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, make access to studying a reality for prisoners.

The University Penitentiary Hubs constitute ".. the organisational (teaching and administrative) structure based on the appropriate measures and facilities, whereby a university undertakes to guarantee that persons can effectively exercise their right to higher education, whether deprived or restricted in their personal freedom, detained or held in prisons, under house arrest or on probation" (taken from "Guidelines for the organisation of Penitentiary University Hubs at universities" drawn up by the National Conference of Penitentiary University Hubs - Cagliari - June 2023).

With the University Penitentiary Hub, the University of Bologna provides administrative and teaching support to prisoners, providing them with the opportunity of obtaining a university education despite being unable to personally attend lectures and take their exams at the University's premises.

There are currently more than sixty students enrolled with the Bologna PUP. About half of these students are housed at the “Rocco D'Amato” Bologna Prison and the other half elsewhere (in other prisons, in protected facilities, under house arrest, or have been definitively released but are still benefiting from PUP facilities).

Bodies and Functions

• Rector's delegate to the Unibo University Penitentiary Hub: Prof. Paolo Zurla, oversees the activities of the entire organisational structure, in conjunction with all the Vice-Rectors or Delegates of reference for the subjects under their specific remit, with the department contact persons, liaising with the Prison, the Juvenile Detention Centre and ER.GO.
  He also represents the University of Bologna at the CNUPP - National Conference of Rectors' Delegates for University Penitentiary Hubs which represents the most important coordination tool for Italian university penitentiary hubs. 

• Department contact persons: lecturers and researchers who liaise and coordinate at departmental level with individual course coordinators and lecturers, to support detained students and facilitate their studies and the taking of exams. They also support the Rector's Delegate in single and collective orientation initiatives.
• Education and PhD Programme Division: coordinates the activities relating to drawing up protocols and agreements referring to the PUP and manages relations with the Bologna Prison for the implementation of exams for detained students.
• Student Services Division: manages the administrative career of detained students, ensuring interaction with ER.GO on aspects related to the right to higher education.
• Cultural Heritage Division: coordinates activities relating to the procurement and acquisition of exam papers.
• Information Systems and Services Division: works in conjunction with the prison facility to set up IT connections and provides the necessary technical support.

Teaching material

Over the years, library facilities have been created within the Prison so that teaching materials can be consulted to prepare for exams and complete dissertations. The main PUP library is located inside the Rocco D'Amato Prison, with a collection of documents from several university departments.

Tuition fees and scholarships

Financial concessions are provided to students in terms of the PUP:

• the University of Bologna guarantees total exemption from the payment of university fees, allowances and contributions for specific purposes (e.g. course transfer allowance, exam recognition allowance, etc.). Stamp duty, if applicable, is excluded;
• the Regional Authority for the Right to Higher Education (Azienda Regionale per il Diritto agli Studi Superiori - ER.GO) offers a financial contribution of €400, including an amount of €157 corresponding to the regional tax, stamp duty and insurance, which students must pay when enrolling for each academic year. The grant is awarded on the basis of a call for applications that governs access, which is published annually by ER.GO.

Who is involved in the PUP

Institutional and operational cooperation with the prison administration or other competent public bodies, local authorities and administrations, municipal and regional guarantee entities are indispensable to carrying out PUP activities.

The University Penitentiary Hub is based on a memorandum of understanding that was reconfirmed in 2025, and which in addition to the University of Bologna, involves:

• the Bologna “Rocco D'Amato” Prison;
• the Regional Penitentiary Administration Office for Emilia-Romagna;
• the Regional Probation Office - UEPE;
• the Regional Authority for the Right to Higher Education - ER.GO.

A similar memorandum of understanding has also been in place with the Juvenile Detention Centre for Emilia-Romagna since 2021, which guarantees university study support for inmates at the IPM - "Pietro Siciliani" Juvenile Detention Centre in Bologna and young adults under the USSM - Juvenile Social Service Office in Bologna.

The institutions involved are committed to ongoing cooperation so as to support detained students during the course of their university career.

Associations of volunteers also operate in the two prison facilities, often in conjunction with the University of Bologna, providing increased interaction and synergy in the procurement of teaching materials, as well as in registering and accommodating the needs of detained students.

Events and initiatives

The University is also dedicated to highlighting the situation in prisons and its commitment in this regard with the European Researchers' Night, an event that is being hosted more often now in prisons.