Skype units to be installed at Juvenile Holding Centre, prisons

Skype recording units and other equipment will be installed at the Sophia Juvenile Holding Centre as well as the New Amsterdam, Camp Street and Lusignan prisons to allow the remote hearing of cases and connections with the courts. This was announced on Monday by the Home Affairs Ministry. The installing of the equipment to continue the dispensation of justice during the COVID-19 pandemic is part of efforts being undertaken by the Ministry and United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF).
Skype recording units and other equipment will also be installed at the Children’s Court, and other facilities deemed necessary for the promotion of telehealth to persons in detention. In addition to the savings from travel and other related costs, the equipment will have the double benefit of ensuring access to justice, while maintaining physical distancing during COVID-19.
UNICEF has also provided support to the Ministry to ensure the promotion of sanitation and hygiene practices for staff and youth in detention, as a means of safeguarding against the disease. With UNICEF, the Ministry will also improve its sanitation area in the facility, and support the implementation of protocols for the safety of juveniles in detention, along with hygiene management training.
Based on the global guidelines for the prevention and response to COVID, UNICEF is also supporting the Ministry to ensure that there is access to legal aid, which will also have the desired effect of reducing the numbers of youth in detention. These measures precede joint discussions on the draft Juvenile Justice Regulations 2020, which will complement the legislation aimed at strengthening the overall administration of justice for juveniles.
For women in detention at New Amsterdam, the Ministry and UNICEF have recommitted efforts to assessing policies surrounding early childhood development and breastfeeding for lactating mothers who may be in prison. Here, the equipment that will be installed will also help mothers to communicate with their children, as part of the process towards ensuring the reintegration of families during detention.