Sport in jail. A sociological comparative perspective

International rules repeatedly express the essentiality for the prisoner to spend a good part of his time outdoors, and where possible to carry out physical and sports activities. Due to the soft law nature of these rules, they often have an eminently directing and guiding role (vis directiva), and not a binding or sanctioning role (vis coactiva); therefore, the effective implementation of these recommendations is systematically delegated to national regulations, and sometimes even to the will of personnel responsible for ensuring that actions do not only remain abstract intentions but become real rehabilitative efforts.