The Scottish Government and Scottish Prison Service are set to introduce mobile phones in prisons across Scotland to help inmates maintain contact with their families amid the COVID-19 lockdown. With prison visits suspended to protect prisoners, staff, and NHS workers, the introduction of mobiles aims to support mental health and wellbeing behind bars.
Phones provided to prisoners will come with strict security controls. Calls will only be allowed to approved numbers already on prisoner call lists. Outgoing calls will be monitored, while texting, internet access, and incoming calls will not be permitted. Although the rollout is a priority, several legal, technical, and security challenges must be addressed before implementation.
Additional measures to ease the impact of lockdown include extra phone credit for all inmates, suspension of TV rental fees, expanded in-cell entertainment options, and the continuation of the “email a prisoner” scheme. Support for families will also be enhanced through partnerships such as Families Outside.
Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf commented: “It is important that prisoners and their families are supported while the current prison visit restrictions are in place. Providing a mobile phone for prisoners to contact their families, along with a range of other actions we are taking, will help support the mental health and wellbeing of those in custody.”
He added: “We will make sure that the use of mobile phones in prisons is done in a way which is practical and safe – for those in custody, their families, and those in the wider community. The phones will be provided as soon as possible once we have resolved some outstanding issues and established the robust systems necessary to roll out and manage this new communications approach across the prison estate.”
Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, said: “COVID-19 is impacting all areas of life in Scotland, including across our prison estate. We have had to make difficult decisions in the last few weeks in order to prevent the spread of the virus and protect those living and working in our prisons.”
She continued: “The provision of phones for those in custody is a crucial way we can help support and maintain family contact during this time of uncertainty. Social distancing and the need to stay indoors means that everyone is turning to technology as a means of maintaining vital contact and the provision of these restricted phones allow that to happen for those in our care.”
Medhurst concluded: “I am pleased that the Cabinet Secretary has announced these plans today and the SPS is working hard to ensure that these can be put in place as quickly as possible.”
This move follows a global trend, with prisons worldwide adopting similar measures to reduce coronavirus risks. In some UK jails, mobile phones have already been introduced following the suspension of visits.
Originally published by UKNIP.
