In light of the stringent measures in place to curtail the spread of the novel Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, prisoners will now be using tablet computers to communicate with their families.
The Ministry of Public Telecommunications has donated 30 such devices to the Guyana Prison Service. In recent times, visits to prisoners by family members have been suspended as a result of the threat of COVID-19.
The donation of tablet computers will now allow prisoners to contact family members via video conferencing using free government Wi-Fi that is already in place at the prisons.
More than a year ago, the Government installed internet at the prisons in Camp Street, New Amsterdam, Lusignan holding Bay and Mazaruni. Together, these prisons house just over 2000 inmates.
The initiative was part of the overall goal of providing internet to government ministries and agencies to enhance operations and communications between locations.
“Today access to the internet is playing a significant role in relief efforts to promote social distancing to ease the spread of the Coronavirus,” the Ministry of Public Telecommunications said in a media release.
The tablet computers were handed over last week to Prison Director Gladwyn Samuels by Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes.
