Prison inmates can now get face-to-face with their loved ones as in-person visits resume

For the first time in over two years, family members and friends of inmates at Dodds prison can now visit them in person.

Minister of Home Affairs and Information Wilfred Abrahams Monday announced that with immediate effect the ban which had been placed on visits to the St Philip prison due to the COVID-19 pandemic had been lifted.

However, he explained that strict protocols would be in place for those persons journeying to the island’s lone penal institution.

“We are pleased to announce that we have taken a decision to restart visits to the prison. The prison was shut down to outside persons from December 30, 2020. Since that time there have been no visits permitted. The difficulty with a prison is that it is a very closed ecosystem and anything that gets into the prison can spread very, very quickly,” Abrahams disclosed during a press conference at his Wildey, St Michael office on Monday.

“…It’s a very delicate situation so we had to be very careful as to who came into the prison, who brought what, who was allowed to interact with the persons who are resident in the prison.”

Abrahams said there had been suggestions that in-person visits at the prison be delayed until next year.

However, he said when everything was taken into consideration, it was decided that now was a good time.

“We did not make the decision lightly to close the prison and we also did not make the decision lightly to reopen the prison. I will say that some were pushing for it to be done next year but this is Christmas and inmates have been unable to see their family in person, [have] been unable to have interactions with their attorneys in person at the prison since we shut down.

“While we want to dot all our I’s and cross our T’s, there is a time when you have to draw a line in the sand and I am satisfied we had a number of days when there were no positive COVID tests in the prison at all. Based on the protocols that have been strictly followed at the prison, based on the rules we also believe that if something was to happen we can quickly bring it under control. That being the case, there was no reason to wait until next year,” Abrahams pointed out, while explaining that clearance had been granted by the Ministry of Health.

Acting Superintendent of Dodds prison DeCarlo Payne said there had been no positive COVID-19 cases among the 743 inmates or the staff in over a month.

He said persons would be allowed to visit inmates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, while Tuesdays and Thursdays would be for virtual visits.

Payne said 11 groups of persons would be allowed to visit and visits had been extended from 15 minutes to 30 minutes. All persons visiting the prison would have to wear masks and be sanitised, he added.

Additionally, he said inmates from different blocks in the prison would not be allowed to interact during visits.

Payne said visits for attorneys-at-law would not be restricted and would be allowed by appointment.

randybennett@barbadostoday.bb