540 inmates in Sharjah prison e-meet loved ones amid COVID-19 pandemic

Faiza Hassan Khabab, Director, Family Forum Centre, SSSD, said the department launched "remote visual communication" between inmates and their family members via an electronic platform.

The mechanism has been effective, as it helped the public to adhere to social distancing norms amid a concerted bid to combat the spread of the contagion. It also helped expatriate inmates to virtually meet their family members after several months. They could virtually meet their loved ones and discuss family matters in private.

“The programme, which is being organised in collaboration with the Sharjah Police, allows six inmates to meet their families a day,” Khabab said.

“The SSSD is pulling out all stops to double the number of virtual communications a day. Plans are afoot to allow 12 inmates to meet their families virtually a day,” she added.

The SSSD authorities also assigned special teams to visit the homes of Emirati inmates. The teams carried a smart device, linked to a vision room located at the SPCI, with them in a bid to facilitate the virtual communication.

Altogether, 90 families of Emirati inmates benefitted from the visits of the SSSD’s special teams.

The novel initiative has been hailed, as it is promoting social values and spreading love and happiness among the community.

An SPCI official said the initiative was in sync with the nationwide precautionary measures that have enforced to curb the spread of the Covid-19. The measures are in place to protect the employees and inmates of the prison facility from contracting SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19.

He cited that the smart virtual platform was launched in collaboration with the SSSD to provide safe and secure communication channels between inmates and their families.

The initiative showcased Sharjah institutions' vision towards lending a helping hand to inmates lodged in prisons and correctional homes to get back to their normal lives, he added.