Covid. It has affected every single one of us. The disruptive nature of a pandemic meant we all had to adapt to a new way of living which came with new challenges and new struggles. Our 'new normal' was anything but 'normal.'
A challenge like no other.
As the disease spread across the globe, correctional facilities faced an unprecedented challenge. How were they going to deal with this deadly virus? And when scientists began to understand how it was spreading so quickly, their advice to implement a social distance of 2 meters only added to the problems these facilities were facing, with many prisons already operating at capacity. If they wanted to stop the spread of the disease, there was only one solution to ensure all prisoners and staff stayed safe. They had to enforce a lockdown.
Is the only solution the right solution?
Although it appeared to be the only solution, prisons soon realized that the only solution didn't solve anything. Reducing access to the prison meant inmates lost touch with the outside world, their families, and friends. As well as the virus, anger and frustration began to spread across prisons, with inmates becoming anxious and aggressive. This behavior spread like wildfire, resulting in violent outbreaks in prisons worldwide, fatal in some cases.
But why? What had prisons missed that caused this disorder?
As we were all finding new ways to communicate with each other on the outside world, inmates faced a much stricter lockdown, one that meant having their only forms of communication taken away from them. So to remove this essential human need in what was an already stressful time, where tensions were running high, it was always bound to have its consequences.
What can we take from this moving forward?
The last 12 months have been an intense period of learning for everyone. But as we reflect, we must learn from our mistakes. We must understand the importance that communication has on all of our lives. We must also never forget the bigger picture.
Let's talk.
These testing times have shown us that there is a direct link between communication and the well-being of inmates. At BSWi, we believe that inmates need the tools to communicate properly and are committed to designing centers that aid rehabilitation. It was these beliefs that led to us developing the InPhone system.
The InPhone system is a cost-friendly solution that gives inmates hope and a connection to society with access to phones. Our intelligent system also gives Prison Services all the control they need, from monitoring calls and recording conversations to blacklisting numbers. It will never be easier to monitor Correctional facility communications, and with InPhone, there are no added costs to the organization.
InPhone is a secure, monitored, simple yet powerful public payphone system that can be tailored to meet the needs of any correctional facility. With projects up and running in Uganda, Poland, Brazil, and Albania, many inmates and prisons can enjoy the benefits of proper communication.
With the help of our partners, we have years of experience fitting our system into some of the most challenging and diverse correctional facilities. If you would like to learn more about InPhone, we would love to hear from you. Or if you are looking for more information, please visit https://www.inphone.io/.