Pozzale is a frazione in Empoli commune, Metropolitan City of Florence. It was the site of a medium-security women's prison. In 2010, it was announced that it would be converted into a facility exclusively for transgender prisoners, making it the first such facility in the world. [1] However, the project was later cancelled by the Ministry of Justice and as of 2013, the prison had resumed its normal operation as a women's prison. [2] In 2020, the prison was converted to a REMS (Residenza per l'Esecuzione delle Misure di Sicurezza) for mentally ill people who have committed crimes, [3] replacing the old asylum-like hospital-prison placed in Villa Medicea L'Ambrogiana.
It used to be the seat of a literary award called Premio Pozzale (now set in Empoli).