Ticino opens new prison unit for women

Ticino opened a new women’s unit at La Stampa prison in Lugano last week, providing 11 places to meet the growing share of women among the prison population, SRF reported. Nine cells have already been occupied.

The unit includes communal rooms, a large kitchen, space for outdoor recreation and daily activities, and a workshop. One of the 11 places is a cell designed for a mother with a child aged up to three. The cantonal Department of Justice and Police said the new facilities would provide more appropriate conditions for women serving sentences.

Until now, women were held at La Farera remand prison or transferred to facilities outside the canton for longer sentences. Such transfers could be difficult because of language barriers and the distance from family and children, as well as being costly, SRF quoted journalist Martina Kobiela of the Tessiner Zeitung as saying.

Women serving shorter sentences of up to a year were often held at La Farera, where conditions were stricter than in regular prisons. They could spend up to 22 hours a day in their cells and had limited access to education and rehabilitation programmes, Kobiela said. The National Commission for the Prevention of Torture criticised conditions there after a visit in 2024.

The new unit gives women more control over their daily routines, including their own cell keys. Staff can still enter at any time. Kobiela said greater autonomy could also be considered for male prisoners if the new regime works well.

A previous women’s unit closed about 20 years ago because more space was needed for men. Women now make up about 6 per cent of the prison population. Ticino continues to face overcrowding, particularly at its remand prison.