Michele Maria Anzalone

The productive reactivation of confiscated criminal assets for economic, societal and environmental regeneration of contexts affected by organized crime

Assets confiscated from organized crime (e.g. heritage buildings, real estates, lands, companies) constitute a subset of public assets heterogeneous, numerous and widespread in Europe. In Italy, the social reuse regulatory framework allows associations and social cooperatives to reuse and manage confiscated criminal assets. Since 1996 this legislative context allowed the emergence of several place-making practices and processes able to:

• create alternative narratives for social, economic and democratic renewal;
• make this subset of public assets productive and not wasted;
• create inclusive and sustainable growth.

In Scotland, since 2008, there is a social reuse government programme know as ‘Cashback for Communities’, which takes money seized from criminals under the proceeds of crime legislation and invests them in the future of young people. Since 2008, £92 million has been committed to community initiatives to improve the quality of life of young people right across Scotland. 

On the basis of this comparison, this research project aims to exchange knowledge and expertise on policies, practices and processes able to create alternative narratives for social, economic and democratic renewal of contexts affected by the presence of organized crime.