The International Committee of the Red Cross has donated communication gadgets in support of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology’s “e-dalaw program” for inmates to see and talk to their families via video conferences amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ICRC supported the program by donating 89 tablet devices and internet and call load for 31 jails and COVID-19 facilities for detainees. The donation was also made to ensure that health and safety protocols are observed in the jails when using the tablets.
“The BJMP’s e-dalaw program has been there for a while now but because of the pandemic, the need for it intensified. They had set up a system for it but many of the jails lacked the devices. The ICRC as a support [to the e-dalaw program] provided tablets. The number of tablets and load to be donated depend on the size of the jail,” said Victa Garde-Lipio, ICRC detention field officer.
Family visits in detention facilities have been suspended since the pandemic hit the country.
The visits were halted by detention authorities in March last year as a precaution for the often extremely congested jails and prisons, alongside stricter infection prevention measures.
The tablet devices, on some occasions, are also utilized by the BJMP to help facilitate electronic court hearings for pre-trial detainees, or for their other programs such as medical consultations and drug dependence evaluations.
In the Plaridel Municipal Jail in Bulacan, there are 140 male detainees taking turns to use two tablet devices to speak with their loved ones. The service is available seven days a week but is scheduled per dormitory so all detainees may avail.
“The donation of two tablets and load boosted our e-dalaw program, which in turn had a huge impact on our detainees as it helped alleviate their loneliness after the suspension of visits. It allowed them to know what’s happening with their loved ones. It’s as if their loved ones can still visit them,” said Chief Insp. Arnel Sarino, the jail warden, adding that some detainees even get to help their children with their modules through the calls.
To ensure that the service will not be a source of infection, the ICRC provided poster guidelines on disinfection and hygiene items to some jails. Detainees must wash their hands with soap and water and disinfect with alcohol before using the device. They must also wear masks during the calls. The device is also cleaned after every use.