By: Kainat Saif
Covid-19, indeed, is a time full of challenges. Indeed, this difficult time for inmates and their families is more challenging as they are not allowed to meet each other. Safety is the foremost concern this makes sense. But alternatives are always there, if not, they can be produced. This is the time of possibilities however, strong will and good intentions for the greater good are essential elements to make this happen.
Such a modern era offers easy and countless modes of quick communication. They should be allowed an opportunity to E-meet their family members. Of course, this will need proper infrastructure to install at jails. But desperate times call for desperate measures. This virtual set-up will help to keep all the prisoners sane as the danger of covid-19 is already a toll on mental health and not seeing their loved ones will only add to it. Video-conferencing facilities should be provided. Till the establishment of proper installation of virtual set-up, prison authorities need to ensure enhancing the use of phone calls to mitigate the loss of outside contact. The concept of social distancing is disturbing for free people who can see and meet people daily from a specific distance. For inmates, who get to meet and greet with their family members for a specific duration only after a certain time period, the meet-up ban can be excruciating. Besides virtual meetups, physical interaction with proper Standard operating procedures such as installing sanitization gates, ensuring facemasks, a proper safe distance, regular disinfection, checking vaccinated status, etc can make physical meetings possible too. This will enable families to send food for their loved ones being imprisoned.
Human interaction is important. In hard times one would crave for nothing but for a human touch to be sane. This is no secret what a pathetic condition is of cells in Pakistan and now this uncertain enemy Covid-19 common to all free and behind the bars is frustrating. Government really needs to look at the options mentioned above and should invest in such ventures. The government of Pakistan is obligated under domestic and international law to protect the rights of prisoners during public health emergencies. Article 12 of the International Covenant on ‘Economic, Social and Cultural Rights’ stipulates that states must; “respect, protect and fulfill the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health including those who are imprisoned or detained”.
For the Sake of Isomorphic mimicry, the government shall take bails, parole, release, and pardon of prisoners into consideration.
The writer is a freelance columnist. She can be reached at [email protected]
