Pulchan: Visits to prisons suspended

ALL visits to prisons have been suspended until further notice, the prison service has said.

In a release on Tuesday, it said this move takes immediate effect in an effort to ensure the prison environment remains as safe as possible from a health perspective.

Acting Commissioner of Prisons Dennis Pulchan said the action is as a result of the medical advice to take certain measures to protect the prison environment from any possible contamination and in an effort to prevent the spread of covid19.

He said families were allowed to visit the prisons on Saturday and Sunday to buy items so that inmates could get their items before visits were suspended.

Pulchan said all feasible measures have been implemented at all prisons to lower the risk to staff and inmates.

They include thermal scans of everyone entering the prisons; additional sinks installed at strategic points in prisons; and sanitising buildings.

The release also said the prison service will be implementing video conferencing by Skype for clients to communicate with their families by prearranged appointments.

Families were reminded the prisons' telephone landline system remained in operation for inmates to speak with their families.

The prison service is expected to provide an update on the start of video conferencing and when visits will restart.