the end of an Isolation: The complete ban on visitors for prisoners in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate is repealed – the prison keys in the Corona-crisis in a new normal before. Group therapies are part of, either now or in the coming days, restricted possible again, as the spokesman of the Ministry of justice in Mainz, Germany, by Christoph Burmeister, the German press informs Agency. Also Church services and hair cuts by hairdressers there is behind bars again. Since the 26. April would be lifted the restrictions because of the highly contagious Coronavirus, depending on the local risk in the prisons gradually. The Infection has gone down in Germany.

During the visit to the ban were made possible, according to Burmeister, in all prisons, “in which it was technically possible,” in the short term to make video calls. Example, the correctional facility (JVA) Wittlich in the Kreis Bernkastel-Wittlich: A staff member travels on a trolley, a Computer in the visiting room, the Skype connection between a detainee and his family on the outside is manufactured, the wife and son need to keep their identity card in the camera, then the virtual visit begins. “The acceptance of this form of communication with the prisoners is large,” says Burmeister.

New real visits to distinguish among other regulations, were in every prison, “because the visiting rooms in size and furnishings clearly”. Wherever possible, cutting discs made of Plexiglas should reduce the risk of infection. In the JVA Wittlich, only every second visit is currently being used in place of the existing glass cutting discs have been increased with plexiglass between the wood frame. Prison Director Jörn Patzak said it was something to have been improvised to allow visits again quickly.

In Rhineland-Palatinate it has given, according to the Ministry spokesman Burmeister with the prisoner, as yet, no Corona case. Only four staff members in the prison in Schifferstadt in the Palatinate (2), Rohrbach in Wöllstein in Rhine-Hesse (1), and Wittlich (1) had an infection, but recovered and is all back on the Job.

Like other States, has sought, Rheinland-Pfalz since the onset of the Corona of a pandemic, to reduce the number of prisoners in the sense of a lower infection risk. Currently, the eight prisons are to sit according to Burmeister, in the closed execution in the country, 2351 Prisoners. 291 prisoners in the closed execution, it would add in the two detention centres. Thus, the judiciary have pushed the number of inmates to 300 to below, by mainly substitute custodial sentences suspended or deferred had been.

Initially, as a safety precaution, the quarantine is for prisoners as well: “new arrivals to be isolated for two weeks in the special access areas,” explains Burmeister. The daily one-hour Exercise but will also allows you.

“Regarding the wearing of protective masks, there are no binding targets,” added the Ministry spokesman. “In General, masks staff but, if the recommended minimum distance to be prisoners will be respected.”

dpa