Rome: Italy has officially opened its first dedicated room for intimate visits in prison, marking a historic shift in the country’s approach to inmate rights. The initiative was launched on Friday at a correctional facility in Terni, located in the central Umbria region, where an inmate was allowed to privately meet with his female partner under the new guidelines.
The move follows a landmark Constitutional Court ruling in January 2024, which recognized the right of prisoners to engage in “intimate meetings” with partners visiting from outside the prison system. The court emphasized that such visits are already permitted across much of Europe, including in countries like France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
“We are happy because everything went smoothly but it is necessary to maintain the maximum privacy to protect the people involved,” said Giuseppe Caforio, Umbria’s ombudsman for prisoners’ rights, in an interview with ANSA news agency.
“We can say that a sort of experiment went well and in the next few days there will be other meetings,” Caforio added, referring to the successful first visit at the Terni facility.
In response to the court’s ruling, Italy’s justice ministry released official guidelines last week. The new protocol allows inmates approved for intimate visits to use a specially designated room equipped with a bed and a toilet, available for up to two hours. While maintaining the inmates’ privacy, the guidelines also mandate that the door remain unlocked so guards can intervene in case of emergencies.
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The introduction of these rooms aims to align Italy’s prison policies with broader European standards while also addressing longstanding criticisms over the country’s correctional conditions.
Italy continues to grapple with severe prison overcrowding, among the worst in Europe. The national prison population exceeds 62,000—more than 21% above the system’s maximum capacity. The overcrowding crisis has also been linked to a disturbing rise in prison suicides, prompting calls for both reform and improved mental health support within the system.
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The introduction of intimate visit rooms is seen by rights advocates as a small but meaningful step toward humanizing prison life and preserving inmates’ relationships with their loved ones.
