This thesis fosters the deconstruction of stereotypes that ascribe deviant or criminal personological attributes to African immigrants in Italy, labeling them as dangerous subjects to be rejected. Therefore, the objective of the thesis is to deconstruct the stereotypical figure of the immigrant-criminal by exploring the stories of Northern and Western African immigrants from the Bologna prison in order to understand how they perceive themselves in relation to their migratory and detention experiences. The work aims to expand anthropological and sociological research concerning the lived experiences of migrants moving from North and West Africa to Italy, the reasons why they choose the illegal path, and the self-perception and representation of their identity. As it turns out,besides revealing the shortcomings of the Italian reception system and its systemic racism, the stories of African prisoners offer an alternative narrative of their identities far from the totalizing and discriminatory stereotype that identifies them only as immigrants and/or criminals.