Prison food is not typically considered fine cuisine, but in the first restaurant run inside an Italian jail, inmates have become such good cooks that their tables are consistently booked up to two months in advance. InGalera — Italian for “In Prison” — is located inside the medium-security prison of Bollate on the outskirts of Milan. Built in a block formerly used as dormitory for prison guards, it was initially meant to teach some of the 1,200 suitable inmates catering skills that would boost their chances of finding a job at the end of their sentences. However, the restaurant proved so successful with paying customers that it became the most talked-about eatery in town. Catering is the perfect job to rehabilitate former criminals because it teaches them how to observe rules. The nine inmates chosen to work in the restaurant earn a salary of between $1,000 and $1,500 a month, depending on their role and experience. They answer to a professional chef and maitre d', and learn skills that could represent their eventual great escape from a life of crime. Thanks to the free support of an architect and major Italian design brands, the restaurant’s interior is as elegant as any other glamorous eatery in the fashion capital of Italy. The immaculate table setting, with white tablecloths, silverware and wine chalices, is a prelude of a high-end dining experience. Posters of films including Escape From Alcatraz, The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption cover its walls, while place mats show black-and-white pictures of some of Italy’s most notorious prisons. The menu offers a selection of fine dishes, including rabbit and chicken ragu, and an even better wine list. The prices are more reasonable than at restaurants offering a similar level of service and cuisine. As Italian food critic Valerio Massimo Visintin put it: “You have to go to jail to find honest prices.”
