Prison visits to be allowed from 27th July

By Peter Moor

Visits to prisons, under new guidance, will begin on 27 July, after they were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prisons will now begin preparations to ensure all visits areas follow health guidelines to keep staff, prisoners and visitors safe.

Justice Minister Naomi Long said: “The work being done to keep our prisons safe for staff and those in our care has been hugely impressive and I want to pay tribute to the Prison Service and our partners for their dedication throughout this time. 

"The careful reintroduction of visits will be welcome progress for families and those in our care: family contact is an important part of rehabilitation and I’m pleased we are now in a position to move this forward.”

Director General of the Northern Ireland Prison Service, Ronnie Armour said: “I fully recognise the importance of ensuring people in our care can maintain relationships with their families.  It is a hugely important part of rehabilitation and in preparing people for release back into the community.

“In response to the pandemic visiting arrangements to our prisons had to be suspended.  Since then we have introduced an extensive programme of virtual visits, which have been hugely successful and have allowed many people to contact loved ones where they had not been able to do so before.  Virtual visits will continue to grow and more than 8,000 have taken place since mid-April.

“As Northern Ireland Executive leads recovery in the community, the Prison Service is committed to doing likewise in our establishments.  Re-introducing visits for close relatives of people in custody is an important step in that recovery.

“Over the next few weeks each of our prisons will make preparations to ensure that healthcare guidelines are adhered to keep our staff, prisoners and their visitors safe.  Visits, under the new guidelines, will therefore commence on 27 July.

“We must remain vigilant to the risk of the virus and this decision will be kept under review. However I know this decision will be welcome news to the people in our care and their families.”

Virtual visiting will still remain the preferred option, with anyone who has any symptoms of COVID-19 not being allowed any symptoms.

Visitors must also follow public health advice including hand washing and social distancing. They will also be subject to a temperature check before entering the prison.

Under the new rules, only one visitor will be permitted at a time, with children under 16 not allowed to visit.

However, if there are exceptional circumstances, children may be allowed to visit if an internal request mechanism is used.