Omroep Flevoland – News – No visit, no leave and no sport for prisoners

Caught in prison. You could now typify the life of prisoners and TBSs behind bars now that the coronavirus is roaming around. They are not allowed to go outside and receive visitors in the Penitentiary Lelystad.

As far as is known, there are no prisoners who have corona. However, a number had to be quarantined. “That situation has occurred frequently,” says Ruut Bernsen, director of the PI Lelystad. It concerns nineteen people who all turned out not to be infected. There is currently one prisoner in isolation. It is not known whether there is a contamination with the corona virus.

If it turns out that someone in the PI has symptoms similar to corona, the RIVM protocol goes into effect: You should not see other people and you should only vent. Bernsen: “If they are two to one cell, they both have to be quarantined.”

Of course, life within the walls of the institution is different now. “We have made major interventions: no visitors, no leave, no sports, no joint sports activities.” In practice, it means that prisoners spend a lot of time in the department. According to Bernsen, that puts pressure on the relationships, but “so far it has been going very well.”

Day come through
They also work with fewer staff or employees come to the institution less often. “There is also less work to do,” says the director, who also works less. He tells his story via Skype. More entertainment is provided. A video channel is open with movies 24 hours a day. Employees have brought DVDs, books and puzzles from home for the prisoners. “To make sure they have something to do,” says Bernsen. “They have to get through the day, too.”

It is very sad for prisoners who are entitled to leave that they are not allowed to go home every now and then. “We have purchased tablets so that skyping can be done with the home front. Um, you can skypet in a controlled way”, Bernsen corrects himself.

New prisoners are checked before entering. They must answer a list of questions and are examined by the medical service. But not many new ones are added. Bernsen: “It seems that the criminal Netherlands is in quarantine.”

– .