Italy Opens Its First Sex Room for Inmates: Italian prison opens its first sex room for inmates

Italy Opens Its First Sex Room for Inmates: Italian prison opens its first sex room for inmates

Italy has opened its first-ever “sex room” for prisoners, marking a significant shift in prison policy. The inaugural facility began operating on April 18, 2025, at the Terni prison in the central Umbria region. Here, an inmate was allowed a private visit from his female partner in a specially designated room equipped with a bed and toilet, and designed to ensure privacy for up to two hours.

This development follows a January 2024 Constitutional Court ruling that recognized inmates’ rights to have “intimate meetings” with spouses or long-term partners visiting from outside, without supervision from prison guards.

The ruling aligns Italy with the majority of European countries—such as France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Sweden—where conjugal visits are already permitted.

The Italian justice ministry subsequently issued guidelines requiring that rooms for these visits be equipped with a bed and a toilet, and that the door remains unlocked to allow guards to intervene if necessary.

Implementation and Reception

The Terni prison is the first in Italy to implement these guidelines. Initially, only one such visit is allowed per day, but there are plans to expand this to up to three per day.

The initiative is seen as a response to the court’s recognition of prisoners’ rights to maintain affective and sexual relationships, a move that has been supported by human rights advocates but criticized by some prison staff unions.

Prison authorities and officials have emphasized the importance of maintaining privacy for those involved, while also ensuring safety and the ability to intervene in emergencies.

Italy’s prison system faces significant challenges, including severe overcrowding (with over 62,000 inmates, more than 21% above capacity) and a recent spike in inmate suicides.

The introduction of sex rooms is part of broader reforms aimed at improving prison conditions and respecting inmates’ basic rights.

Key Features of the “Sex Room”