Today, the quality of Velletri's prison wine is inferior to none in the area. But for Rodolfo, seeing prisoners enjoy their work in the winery is far more rewarding than the quality of his wine.
"When they are here they become like any other ordinary worker," Rodolfo says.
In fact, inmates who work are paid around US$590 per month, plus social security benefits. Even more importantly, however, is the training they receive while in prison.
"I can assure you that someone with two years of experience in a winery or a modern farm like this is guaranteed to find a well-paid job once they are out.
"For example, three Romanians who helped us build this cellar now have good, steady jobs. They may only be a couple out of 100,000, but they still mean a lot to me."
At the moment, only about a dozen inmates work in the Velletri prison farm, which also makes olive oil, honey and jams. It is a tiny percentage compared to the number of prisoners who would like to work there.
"But if the wine business goes well," Rodolfo says, "we'll be able to employ a lot more inmates."
RSS