The prison of Pavia has become the focus of national attention after introducing a measure without precedent: the distribution of condoms to inmates. The initiative, promoted by director Stefania Musso, provides for the purchase and delivery of 720 condoms, officially justified on “therapeutic grounds”. Distribution is overseen by the internal medical staff, led by physician Davide Broglia, with doctors required to record every handout.
The directive, addressed to prison health services, correctional police and the accounting office, specifies that further supplies may be requested as needed. Day-to-day distribution will be handled by doctors Paola Tana and Gabriella Davide.
The phrase “therapeutic reasons”, left unexplained, has stirred questions. In the prison health field, condoms are recognized as essential tools to prevent sexually transmitted infections such as HIV, hepatitis and syphilis, more common in prison populations than in society at large.
The decision brings back to the fore an often neglected subject: sexuality behind bars. Italian law does not regulate sexual relations among inmates, yet the reality of daily life forces the system to confront health risks.
Still, the Pavia case intersects with long-standing problems: overcrowding, lack of rehabilitative spaces and serious hygienic issues—denounced by the Criminal Bar Association and Antigone—raise doubts about the coherence of a targeted health measure in facilities still lacking the basics for dignity and wellbeing.