Virtual visits, court hearings at Dubai prison
DUBAI: Behind a glass, soundproof door, an inmate speaks with someone on a computer screen after visits to the Dubai prison were suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a separate room of the same compound located in the emirate’s desert, about 35km from the city centre, another inmate appeared for a virtual court hearing, while a third was questioned by a prosecutor online.
The use of video conferencing systems is one of the ways authorities are trying to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the prison.
“We are trying to eliminate all direct contact with prisoners... heavily depending on modern technology,” Brigadier Ali alShamali, director-general of punitive and correctional institutions, said during a tour of the Al-Awir central prison.
“We can guarantee the health of the inmate, but how can we know whether someone from outside is carrying the virus?”
Prisoners in the jail here can now talk to their families using Skype.
Shamali declined to say how many prisoners had caught Covid-19, but said there were no “active” cases and the overall number recorded could be “counted with fingers”.
Those diagnosed with Covid-19 had mild cases, he said, and required only “isolation and simple treatment”.
Everyone, whether serving time or employed at the jail, was tested “without exception” in coordination with the official health authorities, Shamali added.
Inmates and staff must wear masks and gloves at all times, some classes and workshops were suspended and the prison gym closed.
So far, the United Arab Emirates has recorded more than 26,000 Covid-19 cases, including 233 deaths.