Prisoners to use iPads to talk with lawyers, family members

See below statement issued by the Guyana Prison Service on the use of iPads by prisoners:

Guyana Prison Service Protocols/ Guidelines for the use of iPads for Prisoners to communicate with their family due to the COVID-19 Pandemic which resulted in the suspension of all visits to the prisons.

Date: April 15, 2020

General Comments in the light of the COVID-19 Pandemic which is currently affecting the world, including Guyana, the Guyana Prison Service seeks to implement preventative measures to protect prisoners and staff from being infected by the COVID-19 Virus.

As a result of the suspension of all visits to prisons, the Guyana Prison Service will be introducing at all prison locations video calls for prisoners to communicate with the following categories of persons:

➢ Family Members

➢ Attorneys at Law

The calls will be made via the Google Hangout application through the means of a Cellular Phone, iPad, Tablet or a Computer with a camera and a microphone powered by an internet connection.

This application would allow the prisoners’ relatives and attorneys -at- law to send a request to the email address of the location where the prisoner is housed, which would then allow the Officer assigned to oversee phone calls to process the request for the call for the prisoner.

This timely intervention has been made possible through the donation of thirty (30) tablets from the Minister of Public Telecommunications, Honourable Cathy Hughes.