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Welcome to the EuroPris Knowledge Management System. The table below shows questions and responses from European National Agencies. Select a question for more information or use the filters on the left to narrow down questions based on Agency or Category.
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Introduction: The National Offender Management Service (England & Wales) is interested to understand the types of virtual visits or video calling that may be offered to enable prisoners to maintain links with family and those in the community.
We do not use video call type facilities to support contact between prisoners and their families. At the moment we do not dispose appropriate equipment that we could use in such manner.
What platform do you use to facilitate virtual visits?As it is stated in the previous answer we do not have video call facilities to support virtual visits. In one of our institutions we have similar equipment for the secure video platform conference which is used in connection with the court hearings.
How does the service operate?We could not give any answer while we do not have such chance.
What is the application and monitoring process applied to virtual visits?/
What risks or problems have you identified or experienced and how have you sought to resolve these?/
What benefits do virtual visits bring and do you have anecdotal or empirical evidence to support this?It is our vision for the future to find out different solutions according to the new technologies and needs of the prisoners and family life. We are aware that there could be benefits and support for them in these aspects.
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YES. Following a Pilot phase IPS will launch a service to facilitate this in Q1 2017.
What platform do you use to facilitate virtual visits?IPS Previously ran a Skype pilot and Cisco Jabber video. The Skype pilot involve the prisoner using our standards based video endpoints, just like a court visit and the external party using skype. We chose to use the existing video endpoints as these endpoints were in place. It also meant the prisoner did not require a PC with internet access for the Skype call. However the quality and reliability was not acceptable. During this pilot other support issues arose Language – while we were familiar with the English version of Skype, Foreign national prisoners families were not using Skype in English. Broadband speeds vary widely affecting the skype experience Device support – family members using various devices, smartphones, windows, mac etc difficult for IT to support, in addition to broadband and language issues. Skype – there are different flavours of skype, skype prior to Microsoft’s acquisition, skype post Microsoft acquisition. All are proprietary protocols and not standards based. Skype – not the only solution out there. Many Asian, US, and Australians use a similar app called LINE. Cost – gateways required to bridge Skype to standards based endpoints Jabber Video pilot was a service provided by Cisco for free. To access the service the family member signed up for a jabber video account for free. Giving them access to a standards based video endpoint on a PC or smart phone. This solution addressed issues found during the skype pilot as follows Language – Cisco provide the client in various language and supported the user Broadband speeds while they could vary the codecs in the jabber clients could maintain good call quality Device Support – handled by Cisco. Costs – jabber client provided by cisco for free. Infrastructure to make IP video calls within prisons was already in place to support video link to courts. While Jabber Video was very successful, Cisco ended support for it and the service is no longer available. Both trials involved video calls to family members and Solicitors. Based on the experience of both trials IPS has purchased Cisco Meeting Server (CMS) formerly Acano which facilitates Standards based video, Skype (Microsoft), and webRTC. WebRTC allows users with a web browser to join a video call. Our CMS solution will go live Q1 2017
How does the service operate?Prisoners are brought to a video link visit room/booth. These booths are used for Courts, legal visits and family visits.
What is the application and monitoring process applied to virtual visits?Details on the solution can be found here: http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/conferencing/meeting-server/index.html IPS don’t record video calls. While the technology exists, recording of video visits would need suitable sized storage. Storage of such visits also raises data protection issues, such as recording members of the public, and children. We have adopted the same approach to a face to face visit, i.e an officer should be in the room
What risks or problems have you identified or experienced and how have you sought to resolve these?Policies are being put in place to establish a code of etiquette for both the prisoner and the visitor.
What benefits do virtual visits bring and do you have anecdotal or empirical evidence to support this?Too early in process to answer this - we have only operated in pilot mode to date. The obvious benefits are the reduction of escorted visits and the ability of children to visit, without having to take time off school. Also these visits can be provided outside of normal hours.
In order to encourage conservation and restoration of socially useful links among underage inmates, foreign inmates or inmates, whose permanent place of living is not in Latvia, and to ensure reasonable respect to human rights to underage detainees, foreign detainees and detainees, whose permanent place of living is not in Latvia, a pilot project is implemented. The pilot project is being implemented in accordance with the order No.153 "About pilot project implementation" signed by the Director General of the Latvian Prison Administration (hereinafter – LPA) on June 17, 2016 and order No.32 "About amendments to the order No.153 "About pilot project implementation" signed by the Director General of the LPA on June 17, 2016" signed by the Director General of the LPA on January 27, 2017. The pilot project in the places of imprisonment started on August 1, 2016 and will be implemented until January 31, 2018. The pilot project provides the possibility to make video calls (by using Skype software) in addition to the rights set in The Sentence Execution Code of Latvia and in the Law On the Procedures for Holding under Arrest. Thus, in the framework of the pilot project, video call is offered to the following persons in places of imprisonment: juveniles, foreigners, persons, whose permanent place of living is not in Latvia. In accordance with The Sentence Execution Code of Latvia, the right to a video call have the following: inmates at the Latvian Prison Hospital in accordance with doctor's instructions instead of a short-term visit; persons with life sentence; inmates involved in drug addiction reducing programme. In accordance with the Law On the Procedures for Holding under Arrest the right to a video call have detainees at the Latvian Prison Hospital in accordance with doctor's instructions instead of a visit
What platform do you use to facilitate virtual visits?The LPA use Skype software. It is free of charge.
How does the service operate?Skype video calls are carried out in special rooms. Inmates are taken from their cell to the room, where the Skype video call will take place.
What is the application and monitoring process applied to virtual visits?When providing Skype video calls in places of imprisonment, the process is organized by analogy with the telephone call provision procedures. An inmate submits an application requesting permission to make a video call, video call is carried out based on inmate's application. When planning video call schedule, every inmate within the pilot project can make a video call twice per month (the length of one video call is set at maximum 15 minutes). However, the number and length of video calls set in The Sentence Execution Code of Latvia and in the Law On the Procedures for Holding under Arrest is determined in accordance with the number and duration of short-term visits. In places of imprisonment the Monitoring department personnel escort inmates to video calls. Video calls are carried out in a special room equipped with all the necessary technical devices. In the beginning it is technically confirmed who the inmate is contacting and then after the connection has been established, a video call up to 15 minutes is provided.
What risks or problems have you identified or experienced and how have you sought to resolve these?While providing Skype video calls, only technical problems have been identified (no connection with the recipient). This problem is solved by calling the recipient on another time.
What benefits do virtual visits bring and do you have anecdotal or empirical evidence to support this?Skype video calls are evaluated as positive by the inmates. However, after these calls the inmate's emotional condition is not always stabile, especially if the call is with their children or parents. The homesickness gets intensified.
No the Swedish Prison and Probation Service (SPPS) do not use this type of calls in all prisons. However, in all prisons for prisoners under the age of 21, or prison with departments for prisoners under the age of 21, when the inmates have meetings with their Probation officer via video call, family members are invited to participate. The answers below are referring to these situations.
What platform do you use to facilitate virtual visits?A secure video conference is used, free of charge.
How does the service operate?The calls are facilitated through secure virtual visits suites, and together with staff.
What is the application and monitoring process applied to virtual visits?After a risk assessment the call is either approved or denied. Staff is monitoring these calls.
What risks or problems have you identified or experienced and how have you sought to resolve these?The situation mentioned under section 1 is not widely spread and commonly used; SPPS have not seen any risks or problems yet.
What benefits do virtual visits bring and do you have anecdotal or empirical evidence to support this?Due to long distances, without this solution the inmates would not be able to “see” their relatives which of course would decrease the quality of family relations.
No
What platform do you use to facilitate virtual visits?/
How does the service operate?/
What is the application and monitoring process applied to virtual visits?/
What risks or problems have you identified or experienced and how have you sought to resolve these?/
What benefits do virtual visits bring and do you have anecdotal or empirical evidence to support this?/
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Inmates in Norgerhaven prison, the high security prison which Norway rents in the Netherlands (capacity 242 inmates), are allowed to use Skype to communicate with their families. The inmates are allowed up to 20 minutes on Skype maximum three times a week. The Norwegian Correctional Service is making preparations to make it a nationwide solution.
What platform do you use to facilitate virtual visits?Skype for business. The fee is covered by the Correctional Service.
How does the service operate?All calls are made from a designated room outside the prisoners’ cells, almost like an open visiting area where several prisoners conduct the call simultaneously.
What is the application and monitoring process applied to virtual visits?Inmates can only have Skype conversations with people approved by the Correctional Service. The inmate has to file an application to Skype with a particular person. The Correctional Service will review the application and make an administrative decision on whether this request is granted or not. Prison officers are situated on a podium. From a computer they can monitor (only visual, no sound) the inmates` conversation. The conversations are not recorded.
What risks or problems have you identified or experienced and how have you sought to resolve these?The Directorate of Norwegian Correctional Service regards the security risk as equal to when unsupervised visits are allowed into prisons. We have not yet experienced any breach of security or security rules.
What benefits do virtual visits bring and do you have anecdotal or empirical evidence to support this?The possibility to communicate via Skype is very popular with the inmates and increases their possibility to stay in touch with their relatives. Some foreign inmates have via Skype seen their children for the first time in years. In 2016 more than 5000 Skype conversations were conducted in Norgerhaven.
When HMP Aberdeen was closed some years back and prisoners moved to establishments in Scotland's central belt, a video link was set up in the APEX Aberdeen (Third Sector) office which connected to SPS establishments. Video linked visits could take place through this means to save Aberdeen based families excessively long journey times to central belt prisons. A review of ‘virtual visits’ was undertaken by SPS 18 months ago and the matter is still under consideration. SPS does not as yet have a formal policy on the matter, but establishments can permit video linked family contact in exceptional circumstances if requested by a prisoner.
What platform do you use to facilitate virtual visits?N/A
How does the service operate?N/A
What is the application and monitoring process applied to virtual visits?N/A
What risks or problems have you identified or experienced and how have you sought to resolve these?N/A
What benefits do virtual visits bring and do you have anecdotal or empirical evidence to support this?N/A
No.
What platform do you use to facilitate virtual visits?In the prison system, there is a platform for connecting via video link system that is used exclusively for the hearing of witnesses. It consists of a camera with the motherboard unit, laptop and LCD TV. Last year, direct connection was enabled between the Supreme Court and few County Courts and few Prisons. Through the ongoing project is planned to connect all the institutions and all courts, but, for now, only for the purpose of questioning witnesses.
How does the service operate?There is no such service.
What is the application and monitoring process applied to virtual visits?There is no such service.
What risks or problems have you identified or experienced and how have you sought to resolve these?There is no such service.
What benefits do virtual visits bring and do you have anecdotal or empirical evidence to support this?We can assume many positive effects, however, we do not have experience with such a service.