| answer text |
<p>Secure social video calling was introduced in all prisons across England and Wales
as an emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic to maintain family ties when social
visits were limited in prisons. To offer fair and equal access, all prisoners are
offered one 30-minute video call per month at no cost to them or their families as
an alternative form of social contact. Additional video calls may also be offered
at local discretion.</p><p> </p><p>We are committed to continue providing secure social
video calling as an additional method of communication, in line with our commitment
in the Prisons Strategy White Paper and we will use lessons learnt from the roll out
during the pandemic to inform future long-term policy direction.</p>
|
 |
