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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 Estonian prisons, prisoners are allowed to have short-term and long-term visits. Long-term visits are allowed at least once every 6 months and their length is usually up to 24 hours. The prisoner can meet family members in a room specially designated for long-term visits, where complete privacy is ensured. Short-term visits are allowed at least once a month and they last up to 3 hours. In Estonia, short-term visits take place through glass, so that the visitor and the prisoner do not have any physical contact with each other. We are planning to change the practice of short- term visits so that the visitor and the prisoner would have the opportunity to be in the same room without a glass separating them.
Yes, they are allowed. These visits may be both intimate and for family. In the first case, only one person is allowed. In the second case, up to four people are allowed.
Please describe how the room where such visits take place looks like (what is the surface area; how is the room equipped; are rooms private – one room for prisoner) and how is supervision during the visit carried out (cameras, glass walls, guard etc.)Rooms and facilites are well packed for the purpose of the visit. In the intimate case, there is a bathroom as well as a bed and chairs. These rooms are totally private with no cameras. In the family visits, rooms are bigger with some more chairs and a Little table in some cases. Supervisión is carried out with full respect to intimacy.
With what frequency and for how long such visits take place?Once per month, aprox. They need to be asked by the inmate and are usually approved.
Which actions are carried out to the visitor and prisoner before and after the visit to find and/or eliminate smuggling of prohibited items?Visitors need to go through a metal detector arch, before the visit. Inmates have body search, with their clothes on, after the visit.
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This content is only available to registered members of EuroPris.
This content is only available to registered members of EuroPris.
This content is only available to registered members of EuroPris.
In Latvian prisons, convicted persons are provided with short-term visits (for a period of 1 to 2 hours) and long-term visits (for a period of 6 to 48 hours, the duration of the visit is determined by the level of the sentence serving regime of the relevant convicted person). Convicted persons are allowed to have short-term visits (according with the Sentence Execution Code of Latvia (hereinafter – the Code)) with both relatives and other persons, while during the long-term visits a convicted person is allowed to stay with relatives (parents, children, brothers, sisters, grandfather, grandmother, grandchildren or spouse). Also, with the decision of Head of the prison, long-term visits with another person may be allowed, if the convicted person had a common household or a child with this person before the beginning of sentence serving. The frequency of short-term and long-term visits depends on the level of the sentence serving and the place where the sentence is served, for example, convicted persons serving a sentence in the highest level of the partly closed prison regime have the right to use eight long-term visits and eight short-term visits per year, while convicted persons serving a sentence in the lowest level of the closed prison regime, has the right to use five long-term visits and four short-term visits. For arrested persons, the normative acts provide only short-term visits (observing the restrictions for visits and communication set by the person directing the proceedings) with relatives and spouse. The visit with a person who is not an arrested person’s relative or spouse, is allowed if the arrested person had a common household or child before the beginning of serving the sentence. Also, if the arrested person has not been visited by any of the above-mentioned persons for a long time, he/she may be visited by another person with the decision of Head of the prison, the arrested person is allowed to have the visit with other person (if the arrested person does not have any restrictions for visits and communication with the mentioned person set by the person directing the proceedings, or there is no security threat). It shall be noted that the arrested person has the right for the one-hour visit with relatives or other persons not less than once a month, and juvenile arrested persons – not less than once a week. The normative regulation allows prisoners during the visit to stay in one room together with two adults and two minors.
Please describe how the room where such visits take place looks like (what is the surface area; how is the room equipped; are rooms private – one room for prisoner) and how is supervision during the visit carried out (cameras, glass walls, guard etc.)Premises for long-term visits are specially designed, ensuring privacy to convicted persons and their relatives, that is, premises for long-term visits are isolated and there are all items necessary for everyday life (for example, bed, chair, mirror, wardrobe, kettle, TV etc.). Premises for long-term visits have a common kitchen, toilet facilities, shower room with all household and hygiene items). Long-term visits are controlled during the morning and evening numerical checks. Prison staff knock on the door of the room, open the door and make sure that the rules for visits are followed. Both convicted persons and visitors are informed about checks, and there is information attached about in each long-term visit room about checks to be performed. There may be several prisoners (and their visitors) in a short-term visit room at the same time. Prisoners and visitors are separated from other prisoners and their visitors by a glass wall (the glass walls can be raised or lowered). In case of necessity, it is possible to connect phone handsets in visit rooms that ensure communication between the prisoner and the visitor. Short-term visit rooms are equipped with a table (separating the prisoner from the visitor) and chairs for both the prisoner and visitor. Prison staff perform a periodical visual inspection of convicted persons and their visitors. The area of rooms and their number depends on infrastructure and engineering provision of each prison. According with normative acts, before short-term and long-term visits the prisoners, visitors and their belongings are searched in order to prevent the entry of prohibited items in prisons, including using metal detectors. Visitors are warned before the visit about handing over prohibited substances, products and items to persons who are in the prison.
With what frequency and for how long such visits take place?See answer to Question 1.
Which actions are carried out to the visitor and prisoner before and after the visit to find and/or eliminate smuggling of prohibited items?See answer to Question 2.
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Physical contact is at the discretion of the staff in charge of the visiting area on the day in question and depending on the type of visit it is. Obviously a screened visit will not permit any physical contact. The standard visit normally takes place across a long table with a 6 inch divider between visitor and prisoner and a further higher divide between visitors to the right and left. We do facilitate family visits in a family room setting with no divides and open access to the visitors but still monitored by the staff. Normal visit guidelines allow for 3 adult visitors and no limit on children within reason (under 18 years of age).
Please describe how the room where such visits take place looks like (what is the surface area; how is the room equipped; are rooms private – one room for prisoner) and how is supervision during the visit carried out (cameras, glass walls, guard etc.)Supervision is provided by way of staff in the visiting area along with CCTV cameras. For normal standard visits there is normally a long bench divided into smaller sections with a 6 inch high divide between visitor and prisoner and a higher dividing section to the left and right between visitors on either side. Some of the bigger prisons could have 15/20 visits taking place at the one time. Screened visits will have a glass/Perspex divided from roof to counter so nothing can be passed over hence the reason it is probably screened in the first instance.
With what frequency and for how long such visits take place?A sentenced prisoner can receive at least one visit per week of not less than 30 mins. Depending on the regime level he/she is on they may get visits totalling two hours in one visit or in two separate visits. A remand prisoner can received at least 3 visits x 15 mins per week up to and depending on resources 6 visits x 15 mins per week. ** It should be noted that the Irish Prison Service have had to introduce certain restrictions on the frequency of visits and the number of visitors permitted over the past two years at different intervals to reduce the risk of COVID 19 entering our prisons. More information on current visit guidelines is available on the link below
Which actions are carried out to the visitor and prisoner before and after the visit to find and/or eliminate smuggling of prohibited items?All visitors entering our prisons have to go through the same search criteria as anyone entering our prisons including body scanners and security wand scans. In the event a detection registers visitors are subject to a pat down search if they want to continue on the visit process. In the cases where explosive detection registers a visitor is then offered a screen visit. In the event a prisoner is suspected of receiving prohibited items they are subject to various electronic and pat down searches before returning to their cells. All our visiting areas are monitored with CCTV and have staff supervising the visits
According to the legislation in force, inmates have the right to receive a visit at least once a calendar month lasting at least 2 hours (juvenile inmates and convicts serving a prison sentence in an open unit have the right to receive a visit once a week lasting at least one hour) - the date of the visit shall be determined by the prison staff. No more than 5 persons, including children, may take a part in the visit; if the inmate has more than 4 children, this number limitation shall not apply to his/her children. In the new legislation that is currently subjected to legislation procedure, the inmate who has minor children, will be guaranteed the right to an additional visit with the children lasting at least one hour, beyond the existing situation. However, such visit will be carried out in the form of a video-visit.
Please describe how the room where such visits take place looks like (what is the surface area; how is the room equipped; are rooms private – one room for prisoner) and how is supervision during the visit carried out (cameras, glass walls, guard etc.)According to the legislation in force, we have two ways how to carry out a visit: 1. direct contact visit – visitors are not separated from the inmate by a glass wall or any other construction-technical barrier; they can greet and say goodbye with a hug or a brief kiss, and expressions of physical contact such as caress or holding hands are also allowed during whole visit. 2. contactless visit – visitors are separated from the inmate by a constructional barrier, i.e. usually Plexi-glass; communication is secured though telecommunication device or though perforated construction barrier. Both ways/forms of visits are carried out in designated rooms of the prison with the presence of the prison staff (direct contact visits are performed separately from contactless visits). The distinguishing criteria for determining the form of the visit is the current risk of violent behaviour of the inmate and transfer of unauthorised items. In the new legislation that is currently subjected to legislation procedure, there will be added a third form of carrying out a visit – i.e. video-visit.
With what frequency and for how long such visits take place?In addition to the answer to question no. 1, we would like to mention that in the new legislation that are subjected to legislation procedure, the inmate will have the opportunity to divide the basic visit time (2 hours) into 2 one-hour visits (1 hour of physical visit and 1 hour of video-visit in another date).
Which actions are carried out to the visitor and prisoner before and after the visit to find and/or eliminate smuggling of prohibited items?When entering the prison, the visitor shall, upon the request of the prison staff, submit to a search of his/her clothing by means of detection equipment, by their frisking or by inspection with a service dog trained for searching substances with a specific scent. If there is a reasonable suspicion that a visitor may have a weapon or other illegal item, then the prison staff of the same sex may conduct a personal body search of the visitor (including oral cavity, armpits, hands and feet) in a particular room. The visitor shall be instructed on the possibility to refuse the search with the consequent refusal of entry to the prison. When entering the prison, the visitor may be also requested to undergo the inspection for alcohol, narcotics, psychotropic substances, poisons or precursors consumption. In case that the visitor refuses to undergo this inspection or the inspection will show that he/she consumed alcohol, narcotics, psychotropic substances, poisons or precursors, the prison staff shall be entitled not to allow the visitor to enter the prison and to carry out the visit. Then in order to attend a visit, the visitor waits in a room where the acts, decrees concerning prison conditions and House Rules (i.e. the detailed imprisonment rules in a particular prison) are available. During waiting, the visitor is instructed on principles of conduct during the visit and any other possible questions related the course of the visit shall be answered to him/her. The inmates shall be subjected to a personal body search before and after the visit.
According to the Act on Imprisonment (Swedish Code of Statutes 2010:610) a prisoner may receive visits to the extent that visiting can be conveniently arranged. However, a visit may be refused if it (1) may jeopardise security in a way that cannot be dealt with by a control measure in accordance with Section 2 or 3, (2) may counteract the prisoner’s adjustment in the community, or (3) may be harmful in some other way for the prisoner or another Physical contact are possible as long as the prisoner is allowed visits without control measures. How many visitors the prisoners may receive on each visit are decided by each prison, there are no national regulations.
Please describe how the room where such visits take place looks like (what is the surface area; how is the room equipped; are rooms private – one room for prisoner) and how is supervision during the visit carried out (cameras, glass walls, guard etc.)When a prisoner is allowed visits without control, he or she can see the visitors in a private room. These rooms are separated from the units where the prisoners live. The surface differs somewhere between 8 – 12 square meter. Usually the rooms are equipped with a table and some chairs or a sofa and a table and there are some utilities for making coffee and tea. Visitors are not allowed to bring any drinks or food but the prisoner can buy for example coffee bread or sodas in the prison and bring to the visit. If there is a visit without control, there are no cameras or guards in the room but the prisoner or visitor can communicate with personnel through a special device for communication or press an alarm in the room if it is urgent.
With what frequency and for how long such visits take place?This also differs between prisons, there are no national regulations. The most common is probably for 2-3 hours and once a week och every other week. If the visitors have to travel a long way they usually can stay for a longer time.
Which actions are carried out to the visitor and prisoner before and after the visit to find and/or eliminate smuggling of prohibited items?In high security prisons, everybody (visitors, personnel etc) have to undergo a control when entering the prison, similar to the control at airports. In other prisons, the visitor might be controlled for example by metal detector or having to remove their clothes. This is not the case for every visitor or every visit, an assessment is made in each individual case.
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The regulations for visits in high security and low security prisons are quite different. In low security the visits usually are allowed without direct/ visual control. If control-conditions are needed they are to be justified by security reasons, behavioral reasons or criminal activities. In high security prsons visits must be controlled, unless there are no reasons to susprct an inmate or the visitor any irregularities or the prison has no general security reasons. Inmates can list 4 persons as visitors. This can be friend family or others. Visits allowing physical contact The use of glasswall or other limitations is not unusual, and requires a specific individual decision.
Please describe how the room where such visits take place looks like (what is the surface area; how is the room equipped; are rooms private – one room for prisoner) and how is supervision during the visit carried out (cameras, glass walls, guard etc.)The rooms are separated from the wings, and they are designed for the purpose. The differnces from prison to prison are great and we can therefore not describe all details. The rooms are usually furnished with coach and chair and a small table. Children are always given toys to play in the case of child-visits. Staff is located close to the visiting rooms, and they are often engaged to execute control tasks due to the visits. Cameras are not used controlling the visits.
With what frequency and for how long such visits take place?One visit a week. The visits lasts for one hour. Extended time is possible due to long distance for visitors travel, sickness, child-visits, how many visits the inmate is having totally etc.
Which actions are carried out to the visitor and prisoner before and after the visit to find and/or eliminate smuggling of prohibited items?All visitors are checked with their criminal record. A control through technical equiptment is legal. The same for a sniffing-dog to be used. Identification documents are required. All items visitors bring to the inmates are to be checked by staff. Glasswall is used in case of suspicion of drug-smuggling. Staff can be watching the visit and additionaly listen to the visits. In case a reasonalble suspition of criminal actions is being planned, the visit is refused.
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