Netherlands allows sex toys in women’s prisons in a pilot scheme

The Netherlands has allowed sex toys in women’s prisons. The decision is part of a one-year experiment the prison service launched in May this year, which the media have only now reported. A total of 295 convicted women take part, roughly 70 percent of all female inmates.

Women can choose between two kinds of product: stimulators that use a gentle pressure wave, and devices known as dildos. Prisons do not hand them out for free: the women have to buy them at the usual retail price.

According to Dutch media, the project is based on a study by Leiden University, which found that being able to satisfy sexual needs can make prisons safer and reduce harassment.

The measure is also seen as beneficial from a hygiene standpoint: using such devices should reduce the risk of fungal infections and other health problems that arise when inmates make substitutes themselves. “Healthy sexuality contributes to relaxation, better sleep and less frustration, and can reduce the health risks linked to dangerous alternatives,” the prison service explains.

The study will undergo a first evaluation after six months and a final one after a year. If the results are positive, the experiment could be extended.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz