She is the only woman living on an island of convicted felons.

(CNN) --

When Giulia Manca traveled to Pianosa, a former Italian prison island, in 2011, all she expected was to relax in the sun before heading home.

But 12 years after checking into the beachfront Hotel Milena, staffed by parolees, Manca is still on the island known as Alcatraz in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

She is now the only woman living in the ghost town of Pianosa, which is part of the Tuscan Archipelago Marine Park.

Manca is both the hotel manager and the supervisor of the island's rehabilitation program, run by Arnera, a non-profit organization with the social mission of helping vulnerable people such as inmates reintegrate into society, and the authorities Tuscany prisons.

"I stayed a week in the hotel and I didn't want to leave," Manca told CNN.

"It was a unique vacation and the rehabilitation project fascinated me, how these inmates were given a second chance in life."

A second chance hotel?

Guests pose for a photo with inmates who work at the Pianosa hotel.

Credit: Courtesy of Giulia Manca

"I fell in love with Pianosa. Its silence, the turquoise sea and clear as paradise, the peaceful starry nights."

Once nicknamed the “Devil's Island”, Pianosa, situated between Corsica and the mainland, is now a blissful retreat loved for its beautiful beaches and lush green vegetation.

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Manca, one of the island's two permanent residents, lives and works alongside a jailer and ten inmates who serve as cooks, gardeners, waiters, beach cleaners and dishwashers at Hotel Milena, the only accommodation on the island.

Surrounded by pine trees, Hotel Milena has frescoed ceilings, 11 rooms with wooden furniture and views of the sea, a large patio where the inmates serve guests drinks, a restaurant and a bar.

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Manca had been staying at this unique hotel for a few days, open all year, when the then manager informed her that the establishment had financial problems and was in danger of closing.

If this happened, the detainees would have to be transferred back to jail, quickly ending their stay in Pianosa.

"I felt that I had to do something to help them or they would be back behind bars, in tiny cells, with no chance to start over and learn a job that can help them once they are released," adds Manca, who previously worked as a tourist agent.

Manca, who grew up in Tuscany, decided to stay and take over the management of the hotel.

He says that at first he worked without pay, using his management knowledge to help secure the hotel's future.

In just a few years, Manca managed to turn things around, and Hotel Milena has become a popular venue for weddings and birthdays, where guests flock, drawn in part by the unconventional disposition of the staff. of the hotel.

"Gannet of the Tyrrhenian"

Pianosa has become a popular refuge for its beautiful beaches and its exuberant vegetation.

Credit: Marco Saracco/Adobe Stock

Situated near Gorgona, another Italian prison island, Pianosa was created in the 18th century to house outlaws, bandits and revolutionaries.

The island was the base of a maximum security prison until 1998, when it was closed.

Its few residents ended up leaving and Pianosa was left deserted for many years.

Until relatively recently, visitors were not allowed to enter, and those who visit can only do so as part of an organized boat excursion that must be booked through specific tour operators.

To be admitted to the Hotel Milena rehabilitation program, applicants must have already served at least one third of their prison sentence and undergo a series of strict psychological and social evaluation tests.

In the last 12 years, Manca has dealt with a hundred criminals on probation for a multitude of crimes, including murder.

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Although he notes that many of the inmates have been convicted of much more than "stealing daisies," Manca has always felt comfortable on the island and considers it a kind of safe harbor.

He also strongly believes that ex-offenders should be given the chance to contribute to society instead of spending more time behind bars.

"I believe in the power of redemption and that even criminals should be given a second chance, they should not rot behind bars but should actively participate in rehabilitation efforts," he says.

"I like to see them come back to life through work."

Known as the "Queen of Pianosa," Manca admits that her work has not gone down well with her friends and loved ones due to the perceived risks of being the only woman with a group of convicts.

"People said I was crazy to take a job like this," says Manca, who is also a member of Arnera.

"Being the only woman who works and lives with male criminals who have not been charged with minor crimes."

"But I've never been afraid or worried. I've never thought about it. I feel safer with them here than in the city, with all these crazy people out there, you never know who you might bump into."

Although being in charge of a group of criminals has its challenges, Manca says she does her best to create clear boundaries to ensure that the rehabilitation program is effective.

She explains that her relationship with the staff is one of reciprocal respect, and that she has managed to find a balance by keeping her distance and being authoritative but open, in order to support them.

Every week, Manca takes a three-hour ferry trip to mainland Tuscany to run errands and red tape, leaving at dawn and returning to Pianosa in the evening.

Manca points out that, unlike in nearby Gorgona, where prisoners must return to their cells after finishing their shift, those in Pianosa are free to roam.

High success rate

Pianosa was the base of a maximum security prison until 1998. Credit: robertonencini/iStockphoto/Getty Images

The inmates receive a monthly salary for their work at the hotel and stay in the old prison premises, converted into cozy studios with a gym, television, kitchen and private rooms with bathroom.

They also give them cell phones so they can keep in touch with their families.

Italian prisons are considered among the most inhumane and overcrowded in Europe, with 120 inmates for every 100 beds, according to a 2020 report from the Council of Europe, while prison suicides have risen 300% since 1960, with a relapse in crime 75%.

For this reason, Pianosa is undoubtedly a much more attractive alternative for those who are nearing the end of their sentence.

Manca is proud of the success of the "Pianosa model", and explains that the rate of those who have spent time on the island and reoffend has been reduced to 0.01%.

"In the afternoons they are free to go down to the beach and swim," Manca explains.

"However, they must leave their accommodation first thing in the morning and return at a specific time at night, they are still under supervision and there is a guard watching over them."

Criminals can serve out the rest of their sentences working at the hotel if they behave, and some have spent between five and ten years here.

But those who do not show willingness to change run the risk of going back to jail to serve the rest of their sentence.

"All have served at least a third of their prison terms and have undergone strict psychological and social evaluation tests to determine that they are no longer dangerous and suitable for the rehabilitation program, [and] that they truly regret what they did." what they did," adds Manca.

"They must demonstrate their willingness to work every day and prepare for a better life. I do not accept slip-ups."

Manca likes to keep in touch with those who have left Pianosa to start a new life, putting into practice the skills they learned on the island, through social networks.

He explains that some have become prisoner counselors in other prisons after working at the hotel.

Manca is very proud of her role in the process and says that those who at first doubted her decision to stay at Pianosa so many years ago have now been convinced.

"Even my daughter Yolanda, who was a little skeptical of my work as a child, has come to appreciate the island and understand the importance of what I do, and now she tells me that I am a lucky person," says Manca.

Italy