Mathematics workshops in prison: Design and practice

This paper presents the design and results of an informal mathematics education project for young adults in an Italian prison. The workshops were designed to emphasize problem-solving with the aim to provide inmates with skills transferable from mathematics to daily life. To overcome language barriers and different levels of schooling, a learning-by-doing approach was adopted. Participants' feedback indicate success in fostering mathematical and psychological empowerment: inmates reported increased patience, greater self-esteem, and improved mental engagement. Furthermore, the workshops promoted social inclusion by encouraging collaborative problem-solving among inmates, prison officers, and staff, highlighting the potential of mathematics to empower marginalized individuals and strengthen social bonds in fragile communities.