Ministry of Public Security proposes that inmates be allowed to make video calls every 10 minutes each month

The Police Department for Prison Management, Compulsory Education Institutions, and Reformatory Schools (Ministry of Public Security) has just issued a draft Circular detailing the regime of meeting, receiving gifts and contacting prisoners.

In the draft Circular in Clause 2, Article 12, there are regulations on video and audio communication between prisoners and relatives.

Accordingly, point a of clause 2, Article 12 stipulates that prisoners are allowed to have video and audio contact with relatives through a specialized information system managed by the Ministry of Public Security in the form of connection established, managed and controlled by the detention facility via the Internet to the end-to-end device of the relative.

Communication is decided by the Head of the detention facility and is organized and supervised throughout the communication process; if necessary to ensure security, order, and safety of the detention facility, this may be temporarily suspended or not allowed to be implemented according to the decision of the competent person.

Prisoners are not allowed to freely use the Internet or use applications or other communication platforms outside the system specified in this clause.

According to point b of clause 2, Article 12, relatives who like to register online through the specialized information system specified in point a, clause 2 of this Article, fully declare the information of the contact person serving the identification, relationship with the inmate and expected contact time; the detention facility confirms eligibility before implementation.

Only allow exchanges when images and sounds of relatives are directly recorded during the communication process and are consistent and match the identified information and images.

When a prisoner contacts a relative with images or sounds, the prisoner must comply with the registered information, including the contact information of the relative and the content of the exchange recorded in the process of managing the contact;

Use the Vietnamese language, except in cases where the inmate is not competent to use the Vietnamese language and is considered by the detention facility and allowed to use another language suitable to management conditions and has supervisors.

Image contact between prisoners and relatives is carried out no more than once a month, the duration of each time is no more than 10 minutes and is carried out free of charge.

Officials assigned to monitor prisoners contacting by phone or connecting images and sounds with relatives must have a Tracking Book, updating information about organizing prisoners to contact relatives by phone or contact with images and sounds.

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