Fully Equipped with Bed and Bathroom...
Plans to Expand to Up to Three Private Visits Per Day
For the first time, Italy is allowing prison inmates to have visits that guarantee privacy for conjugal relations and other aspects of personal life.
According to a report by Italian news outlet Rai News on April 18 (local time), Terni Prison in the central Italian region of Umbria has introduced a "room of affection" equipped with a bed, television, and bathroom. Currently, only one such private visit is allowed per day, but there are plans to gradually increase this to up to three visits per day.
This development follows a decision by the Italian Constitutional Court in January of last year, which recognized the right of inmates to have private meetings with spouses or partners visiting from outside the prison.
Advocates who have called for the introduction of "private visits" have argued that such measures serve as an incentive for inmates to maintain exemplary conduct. Human rights activists have also insisted that, from the perspective of universal human rights, inmates should be granted the right to meet with family members or loved ones in a setting that allows physical contact. In response, the Ministry of Justice issued guidelines allowing inmates to spend up to two hours of private time in rooms equipped with beds and bathrooms.
In the "room of affection," inmates are permitted to have sexual relations with their spouses or partners. However, for safety reasons or in case of emergencies, the door must remain unlocked so that prison guards can respond immediately if necessary.
The first users of this facility were a man in his 60s from Campania and his partner. Although they are not legally married, the visit was approved because their relationship is long-term and stable.
Giuseppe Caporio, the Ombudsman for Prisoners’ Rights in Umbria, described Terni Prison's rapid progress in securing space, establishing regulations, and updating surveillance systems as a "small miracle."
However, the prison guards’ union (SAPPE) has opposed the move, issuing a statement questioning, "Should prison guards be responsible for protecting inmates’ private lives?" and calling it "an affront to professional pride."
This type of visit has long been permitted in about ten European countries, including Germany, France, and the Netherlands. In Italy, however, there has been strong opposition; a related bill discussed in the Senate in 1999 was ultimately scrapped. This is largely because, in Italy, mafia members?who are often considered outlaws?have repeatedly given orders for crimes or even escaped from prison while incarcerated. Additionally, due to the prevalence of drug trafficking in the country, there has been widespread reluctance to allow inmates to meet with outsiders.
South Korea has implemented a similar system. Since 1999, the "Family Meeting House" program has allowed inmates to spend one night and two days with their families in a house near the prison, designed to resemble a pension.
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