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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: In the process of the penitentiary system reform the Prison Department of the Republic of Lithuania is planning a systematic review of the rights granted to inmates and the procedure of their implementation. One of the most important rights granted to inmates is the family visits. Before making the changes in the procedure of granting family visits the department would appreciate updated information on how other European countries are granting family visits.
Under Section 35 of Prison Rules 2007 the following criteria applies to prisoner visits. 1. A convicted prisoner over person over the age of 18 years shall be entitled to receive by prior appointment on visit per week from relatives or friends at least one visit of 30 minutes duration. 2. An un-convicted prisoner (pre-trial) over the age of 18 years shall be entitled to receive one visit per day from relatives or friends of not less than 15 minutes in duration six days per week where it is practicable but not less than 3 days. Times and dates of prison visiting times are published by the Governor of the Prison and available on the Irish Prison Service website www.irishprisons.ie The Governor has the discretion to restrict the number of persons on a visit, with a maximum of three adult visitors allowed. Unlimited numbers of children (under 16 years) are permitted within reason. Depending on the prison facilities physical contact may not be possible as some prisons will only have screened visit facilities. There are no fees associated with visitors for visits.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, are minor children allowed to these visits?The Governor may also allow physical contact between a prisoner and a visitor if satisfied that such contact will not facilitate the entry into prisons of controlled drugs or other prohibited articles or substances. All visits are closely supervised in the visiting areas and visitors are subject to search and screening similar to airport security, prior to entering the visiting area. The exception is visits to an Open Centre, where there is no security searches or screening, and supervision is in a more family friendly environment.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, is there a fee established for the use of a separate visit room?No fees attached to any visiting arrangements.
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SPS recognizes that families and social networks can be motivating factors that can influence behavioural change. SPS is committed to working with people in our care, their families, social networks, wider communities and partners in order to maintain or develop meaningful family contact through a period of imprisonment. While maintaining safety and security, SPS creates a welcoming, relaxed and comfortable environment including child-friendly spaces which encourages positive relations between people in our care and their children. All establishments maximize suitable visiting opportunities for families and children through regular and constructive contact. SPS: - provides a visiting environment that encourages personal contact and is conducive to positive relations between parents and their children; - provides a welcoming waiting area and visits area which offer a range of facilities; - promotes activities which encourage family interaction and learning such as health eating and arts and crafts; - facilitates children's visits that take account of school hours and public transport availability; - communicates local visit processes and procedures clearly to people in our care and their families in a range of languages; - displays contact details of relevant visits staff and family contact officers;and - provides a programme of family day special events.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, are minor children allowed to these visits?Not applicable
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, is there a fee established for the use of a separate visit room?Not applicable
The opportunity to visit a pre-trial detainee is determined by several factors. One factor is whether he or she wants to receive visits and apply for this and if the visitor agrees to the visit. Another factor is whether the prosecutor has decided that it will be subject to restrictions on the right to receive visits. In such cases, the Swedish Prison and Probation Service (SPPS) will contact the prosecutor so that he or she can decide whether the visit can still be granted and, if so, under what conditions. Finally, the SPPS makes an own assessment if there are practical conditions to carry out the visit. Furthermore, it is estimated if the visit may in some way compromise security that the SPPS has not anticipated. If it is necessary for security reasons, both in prison and custody a visit may be subject to supervision by staff, or the visit take place in a visiting room designed to make it impossible to hand over articles. This may also be a requirement from the prosecutor. Control that staff monitoring the visit do not require the staff to be physically present in the visiting room. It can, also be made by image- or audio recording from another room. If a visit is monitored by image- or audio recording, the inmate and visitor have to be informed in advance. If the inmate is placed in a closed prison, the visits are carried out in special visiting rooms or alternatively in some cases in a visitor's apartment. These doors are locked during the visit. In open prison visits are usually not conducted in special visitors' rooms but on all or part of the prison area.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, are minor children allowed to these visits?If a child under the age of 18 is to visit someone in custody / prison, the guardians must approve the visit. When assessing if a visit of children may be approved, particular consideration should be given if the child is related to the inmate. The child should normally be accompanied by an adult during the visit e.g. another guardian, a person from the social service or someone else the child has trust for. In all assessments, the SPPS should take into account what may be considered to be in the best interests of the child. There may be circumstances that make visits not considered to be the best of the child, for example that the child has been subjected to violence and / or has witnessed violence or been subjected to threats of violence by the inmate.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, is there a fee established for the use of a separate visit room?No, there is no fee.
Family visits and visits of relatives are particularly supported. During the visits physical contact is allowed. The visits are regulary supervised. The total duration of the visits are at least two hours a month. For visits of children under the age of 14 years the total duration increases for another two hours. The head of prison can allow several hours of unsupervised visits for inmates (not for pre-trail detainees).
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, are minor children allowed to these visits?No.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, is there a fee established for the use of a separate visit room?Yes, they have to pay 1,00 € for cleaning the towels and bedding.
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We have a visit with physical contact 4 hours as award, according to the law. We have a visit twice per month 40 minutes without physical contact, which is laid down the law. The inmates, serving a sentence in prison hostels open type implement meetings without bars with a possibility to free access to the visitors. The Head of the Prison or prison hostel can forbid within 6 months the meetings, correspondence or phone connection with the people, who can influence negatively the inmate, except for these contacts of relatives with ascending and descending line, a husband, brothers and sisters, defenders and wards or with a person with whom they live in factual cohabitation. During the meetings the inmates can receive foods and objects, which they have right to use and keep in their rooms. The inmates, who serve their sentence in a place of deprivation of liberty, which is not the nearest to their permanent address, can use the right to have a meeting in more favorable conditions, determined by order of the General Director of General Directorate „Execution of Sentences“. Monthly meetings of inmates have duration to 40 minutes. The extended meetings are head in specially equipped rooms. The inmates, serving their sentence in prison hostels open type or having a common regime and serving their sentence in a prison or prison hostel close type, can be awarded with meetings out of the place of deprivation of liberty. The inmates, having light regime can use visits or meetings with volunteers and representatives of non-governmental organizations out of the reformatory within 6 hours per day. According to Art.253 of the Law on Execution of Sentences and Detention the prosecutor, prosecution body, judges, experts, lawyers, defenders and wards have the right to access to the convicted people and defendants. International experts, who can visit them under international agreements, ratified by the Republic of Bulgaria also have the right to access to the convicted people and defendants. The prosecutor or court may allow meetings with representatives of legal defense, religious and other organizations and communities registered in the country, as well as employees from operative search services. Meetings with convicted people and defendants with representatives of mass communication means are admitted after written permission of the prosecutor or court. The convicted people and defendants may be interviewed and photographed only with explicit consent for that. The access of people, mentioned above is ensured within the working time after submitting the relevant documents. As an exception, this access can be prolonged for no more than two hours. Prosecutors, exercising surveillance for lawfulness in places of deprivation of liberty are ensured access all the time of the day. The right of meetings of convicted and defendants is regulated by the law in Art.256 of the Law on Execution of Sentences and Detention. The general rules for meetings of convicted and defendants in pre-trial phase, placed in remand prisons are regulated very clearly and shortly in Art.277 of the Implementing rules of the Law on Execution of Sentences and Detention. There is mentioned that people with a punishment „detention in custody“ have the right to a meeting with their relatives, close and familiar people, no more than twice per month with duration up to 40 minutes. The meetings themselves are head for all people with a punishment „detention in custody“ in special detached rooms, in order and manner determined by the Head of District Service „Execution of Sentences“, the Head of Regional Service „Execution of Sentences“ or the Head of remand prison of the specific territorial service for the territorial service. Up to four visitors are presumed, as this restriction is not valuable for descending and ascending relatives, husbands, brothers and sisters of people, detained in custody. EXPLANATION: in both categories of mentioned people up to now, the allowed meetings are in rooms equipped with partition walls, which don’t admit direct contact through phone connection and immediate monitoring of physical security according to Art.73, Para.12 of the Implementing rules of the Law on Execution of Sentences and Detention.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, are minor children allowed to these visits?All meetings are under the control of the employees of the supervisory security staff and it is allowed to the juvenile children to be present at these visits.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, is there a fee established for the use of a separate visit room?There isn’t a fee established for the use of a separate visit room during unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact), allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates.
Detainees (persons under remand custody): Family members can visit detainee 6 times a month. Minimal duration of each visit is 15 min and maximal duration is 1 hour. Family members can visit juvenile detainee 10 times a month. Minimal duration of each visit is 30 min. Visits are with physical contact (without barriers) if visitor is aged under 18 years. Visitor under 14 years must be accompanied by parent or legal custodian. Convicted prisoners: Convicted prisoners have the right to receive visits from family members regularly at least 2 times a month and on holiday. Minimal duration of each visit is 1 hour. Prisoner's children aged under 18 years can visit prisoner at least once a week and on holiday. Visitor under 14 years must be accompanied by parent or legal custodian. All visits for prisoners (from relatives and other persons that are approved as visitors by prison's governor) are with physical contact (without barriers). In addition to rights, visits can be approved more frequently as prisoners’ benefits. Frequency and duration of such benefits depend on the level of the achievement of prisoner’s individual program of the enforcement of the prison sentence. Conjugal visits from a spouse or extramarital partner are also foreseen by the Law on the enforcement of the prison sentence, not as a prisoner’s right but as a benefit depending on the level of the achievement of the individual program of the enforcement of the prison sentence.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, are minor children allowed to these visits?Prisoner can receive visits from his/her children as explained under previous answer, but unlike the conjugal visits from the spouse or extramarital partner, there is no possibility of unsupervised visit (there is a discreet visual supervision).
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, is there a fee established for the use of a separate visit room?There is no fee for the use of the special room for visits of convict's spouse or extramarital partner without supervision (conjugal visits).
•Standard domestic visits for all prisoners; •Child Centred visits are offered to eligible prisoners in order to create special opportunities for parents/grandparents to bond with their children/grandchildren; •Extended Visits are offered to eligible prisoners in order to create special opportunities for parents/grandparents to bond with their children/grandchildren; •Skype visits; •Familiarisation visits for family members when a prisoner transfers to a different location to illustrate the opportunities available on site and in the community; •Town or home visits when a person is nearing the end of their sentence; and •Sunday lunch visits which allows families to sit down together for a meal.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, are minor children allowed to these visits?Nil
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, is there a fee established for the use of a separate visit room?Nil
In Norway family visits are normally allowed, with physical contact, and they are considered as an important part of the resocialization of the prisoners. Relatives are often a crucial part of the prisoners network. If the prisoner has children our Execution of Sentences Act Section 3 states that: Particular importance shall be attached to a child’s right of access to his or her parents during the execution of a sanction. In the prisons there are usually visit-rooms specially equipped for children’s visit and there are in some prisons “visit houses/visit apartments” where families with children can visit and even spend the night with their relative. For both convicted inmates and pre-trial detainees there are – for security reasons – exemptions from the right to receive family visits and physical contact. This exemptions can make it necessary to forbid physical contact, demand use of supervision, use of glass wall or in worst case the visit will be denied. The decision regarding visits for convicted inmates is taken by the Correctional Service. The decision for pre-trial detainees depends on ruling from the Court/The Prosecution Authorities.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, are minor children allowed to these visits?Yes, they are.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, is there a fee established for the use of a separate visit room?There is no fee for the use of visit-rooms/visits-rooms arranged for visit from children.
According with the legislation of the Republic of Latvia, prisoners are allowed the following types of family visits: 1) Short-term visits, 2) Long-term visits, 3) Family days.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, are minor children allowed to these visits?Detainees have the right to at least an hour long meeting with relatives, spouse or other persons no less than once per month in order to facilitate the maintaining of kinship and family contacts. Inmates, except persons involved in addiction reduction programme and persons sentenced with temporary deprivation of liberty, shall have an opportunity to meet their relatives and other persons without the presence of a representative of the deprivation of liberty institution in accordance with the procedures and extent laid down in the Sentence Execution Code of Latvia: short visits - from one to two hours in order to facilitate the maintaining and renewal of socially useful contacts; long visits - from six to forty-eight hours in order to facilitate the maintaining of kinship and family contacts. The persons sentenced with temporary deprivation of liberty shall have an opportunity to meet their relatives and other persons without the presence of a representative of the deprivation of liberty institution in accordance with the procedures and extent laid down in this Code: short visits - from one to two hours in order to facilitate the maintaining and renewal of socially useful contacts. During long-duration visits the convicted persons shall be permitted to stay with their relatives - parents, children, adopted persons, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren or a spouse. According to the decision of the administration of the deprivation of liberty institution short-duration visits with other persons may be permitted provided that the convicted person has had a common household or a common child with this person before commencing serving of the sentence. When registering marriage convicted persons, in addition, may be granted a longer meeting of up to 48 hours with the permission of the deprivation of liberty institution. Convicted persons shall not be permitted to meet arrested persons and the persons who are serving a sentence in other deprivation of liberty institutions. The head of the deprivation of liberty institution may forbid, according to his or her decision, that the convicted person meets a particular person for security considerations. Since 2017, Latvian Prison Administration is implementing European Social Fund project, within the framework of which Family days are organized in the imprisonment places. During such an event it is possible for several families to meet at the same time and place. Depending on the size of the imprisonment place (size of the room(s) where it is possible to organize such family meetings) in each event participate from 4 to 22 families, i.e. on average it is from 30 to 100 persons. The goal of such Family days is to create an informal atmosphere and friendly environment for children, as well as for all family members who are visiting their imprisoned relatives to strengthen family bonds. In 2017 there were organized 11 Family day events. In 2018 there have been organized 15 Family day events. In 7 imprisonment places Family day have been organized repeatedly. During 2018 there are planned around 40 to 44 Family day events.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, is there a fee established for the use of a separate visit room?According with the price list set in the legislation of the Republic of Latvia, Latvian Prison Administration provides the following paid services: 1) For using bed linen set in the long-term visit room; 2) For using furniture and equipment in the long-term visit room.
In Estonian prisons the prisoners can arrange short-term and long-term meetings. An imprisoned person as well as a person in custody is entitled to short-term visits at least once a month with their family members and other people with regard to whose reputation the prison service has no reasoned doubts. For short-term meetings the meeting room is separted with glass wall between the prisoner and the visitor. However, it is possible to have short-term visits without the separation, but this is rather allowed to close family members. The duration of a short-term visit shall be up to three hours. The long-term visits shall not be applied to persons in custody. An imprisoned person shall be allowed to receive long-term visits from his or her spouse, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, child, grandchild, adoptive parent, adoptive child, step parent or foster parent, step child or foster child, brother or sister. Long-term visits from a cohabitee shall be allowed on the condition that they have common children or at least two years of cohabitation prior to commencement of serving the sentence. A long-term visit means that a prisoner and a visitor are allowed to be together without constant supervision in prison premises designated for such purpose during a twenty-four hour period. The imprisoned person is entitled to at least one long-term visit within half a year.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, are minor children allowed to these visits?Minors are allowed to have long-term visits (with physical contact)only with an inmate.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, is there a fee established for the use of a separate visit room?Yes, there is a fee established for the use of a separate visit room. The costs shall include the costs incurred on the use of premises, alimentation and toiletries of the visitor. The prison enables rooms with different sizes and prices for long-term meetings. The cost of long-term visits shall be borne by the prisoner or the visitor.
The Slovak legislation regulates the right of convict/accused to receive a visit of close persons at the time determined by the Prison Governor or by him determined prison officer at least once per calendar month for the period of two hours. In the case of minors, the specified legislation enables the visit of close persons once a week. The way (process) of the visits (with physical/ without physical contact) depends on the type of committed crime, respectively internal differentiation. In justified cases, the Prison Governor decides on how to execute the visit. We distinguish visits the visits with physical and without physical contact. The visits with physical contact are carried out so, that convict/accused can welcome and say goodbye to his/her visiting persons by shaking hands, hug and short kissing. The visits without physical contact are carried out so, that convict/accused is separated from the visiting persons by a construction barrier, usually by plexi-glass and he/she communicates by using a telecommunication equipment.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, are minor children allowed to these visits?The convict/accused may be visited by up to five persons, including children. In the case the convict/accused has more than four children, this restriction is not applicable for children. During the visit, intimate expressions such as long-tasting kisses, sitting on knees (with exception of minors), touches that could endanger morality are not allowed, while other expressions of physical contact as stroking and holding hands are allowed. In the case of justified suspicion of child abuse in regard of not allowed activity, e.g. illegal items are handed over to convict with the help of the child, the determined prison officer shall immediately interrupt the physical contact or end the visit prematurely.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, is there a fee established for the use of a separate visit room?In conditions of the prison sentence and pre-trial detention in the Slovak Republic, there is no established fee for the visit. An exception is the visit between imprisoned persons with each other (spouse/partner), when the obligation to pay the costs related to transfer arises.
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The Italian Penitentiary Act (PA, Law n. 354 of 1975) provides for that prisoners are allowed to have visits with their family members and with other persons (art 18, PA). Those visits are not conjugal visits and are carried out under the control of Penitentiary Police, this control being merely visual and not auditory. Visits take place in indoor facilities without partitions or in open areas especially devoted to that.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, are minor children allowed to these visits?The law currently in force does not provide for that the visits with the spouse or the cohabitant take place without the visual control of the Penitentiary Police staff.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, is there a fee established for the use of a separate visit room?In our penitentiary system, prisoners do not use separate premises for visits under payment of a fee
In the Department of Penitentiary Institutions, all adult and juvenile interns, both men and women, both in the pre-emptive, victimized and semi-liberated regime, have the possibility to make appointments and family communications visits. Adult inmates with pre-emptive care have the possibility of six (6) individual weekly / glass conferencing spread over two (2) days, and inmates under penalty conditions have the possibility of nine (9) individual weekly / glass dispensers spread over three ( 3) days. All the speakers have a duration of fifteen minutes each and with a maximum of three (3) visitors (relatives or friends) simultaneously in each of the speakers. All inmates (preventive, penitentiary and semi-bored) may also make one (1) weekly family communication of thirty (30) minutes in a single room with a maximum of five (5) justified relatives. Note: In order to be able to make these communications, the interns must carry a minimum of seven (7) days of stay in the Center. Interns who do not carry out any type of communication due to geographical distance with family members may request to make a weekly telematic communication (video conference) of a duration of 20 minutes. Lawyers can visit all inmates from Monday to Friday from 09:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and during the weekend from 09:00 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. The time of stay is unlimited within the established hours.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, are minor children allowed to these visits?Adult inmates (precautionary, penitentiary and semi-freed) are entitled to one (1) month intimate communication visit, one (1) hour, in exchange for two (2) family communications corresponding to the same calendar month. This communication is done in an individual room with your partner, without sex. Note: In order to be able to carry out this communication, inmates must take a minimum of six (6) months to the Penitentiary. Underage inmates have the possibility of three (3) weekly family communications of fifty (50) minutes in a single room with a maximum of five (5) justified relatives.
If unsupervised visits with a spouse/ partner (with physical contact) are allowed to pre-trial detainees and/or inmates in your country, is there a fee established for the use of a separate visit room?In any of the ways mentioned above, it is charged for the right to use the facilities, it is always free.