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SINGAPORE: Yusuf (not his real name), an inmate at the Changi Prison Complex, first learned about the COVID-19 pandemic through the newspapers.
He began asking prison staff about the health crisis, and as it worsened, officers began informing inmates about security measures once every two weeks.
The 37-year-old, who is behind bars for drug-related crimes, said he was concerned about contracting the coronavirus initially, but felt reassured when precautions were tightened at the beginning of the two-month “circuit breaker” period. in April.
“Before the pandemic and during the pandemic, there is a lot of difference,” he said.
“Wherever we go, we need to wear masks. Only inside the room (cell), we don’t need to wear a mask.
“(There is) social distancing during our recreation time, even in our yard … For Muslims, we also maintain a distance of more than one meter (during prayers).”
Prisoners wear masks at all times and their temperature is taken twice a day. (Photo: Singapore Prison Service)
WATCH: COVID-19 Measures at Changi Prison Keep Inmates Safe from Broadcasts
Measures like these were put in place to protect the nearly 11,000 inmates at the Changi Prison Complex, which was linked to six COVID-19 cases between late April and early August.
New inmates are segregated for 14 days before they are allowed to join the general inmate population. They are tested for COVID-19 at the beginning and end of their segregation period.
When an inmate tests positive, he or she is isolated and the prisons will conduct contact tracing.
So far, five confirmed cases have been detected through these measures.
READ: Singapore reports 142 new COVID-19 cases, including one inmate with social visiting pass
Those who were close contacts were tested for COVID-19, and all tested negative, according to the Singapore Prison Service.
Second Superintendent (SUPT) Luke Leong of Institution B2 of Changi Correctional Complex said: “The cases that we have come across in prisons, that have been reported, have all been isolated cases and are not linked to each other.”
“It is unlikely that they have contracted within prisons or spread within prisons.”
Newly admitted inmates are swabbed before and after their segregation period. (Photo: Singapore Prison Service)
Prisons also maintain strict controls on the number allowed in living and working spaces.
In pretrial detention, the cells are designed to hold up to four inmates each, a rule that is strictly adhered to, according to SUPT Leong.
“There are other prisons, some of which may be designed to hold up to eight inmates per cell, some of which will be designed to hold up to one inmate per cell,” SUPT Leong said.
“Regardless, we never go beyond the design capacity of the cell, and we will never house more inmates in a cell than it is designed for.”
A staff nurse also tested positive, although it is unclear how the nurse contracted the virus.
READ: Three inmates, a nurse at Changi Prison tested positive for COVID-19 between April and May: SPS
PRECAUTIONS TAKEN BY PRISON STAFF
Prison staff don personal protective equipment when interacting with suspicious cases and wear masks at all times.
They also take their temperature twice a day and are told not to report to work if they are not feeling well.
Since July, prisons have been progressively cleaning staff who have been in contact with confirmed cases.
High-risk personnel swabbing began in July. (Photo: Singapore Prison Service)
Prison staff wear masks at all times and take their temperature twice a day. (Photo: Singapore Prison Service)
While Yusuf feels safe in prison, the father of three said his biggest fear now is that his family will contract COVID-19 outside.
Visits were interrupted during the circuit breaker, but family members were able to stay in contact through 15-minute phone calls.
“The phone calls really brought us together,” said her sister Farah (not her real name).
“Especially for my father who is bedridden, he still had a chance to talk to my brother, so this is … I’m very grateful.”
In-person visits resumed in August, with the usual precautions.
Visitors to the Changi Correctional Complex are required to adhere to secure management measures such as secure check-in and temperature taking. (Photo: Singapore Prison Service)
Farah and Yusuf met for the first time in four months after face-to-face visits resumed on August 1 (Photo: Singapore Prison Service).
Visitors must stick to their assigned times and each visit lasts 20 minutes.
Cleaning is done in all cubicles after each session.
Visitors are assigned time slots and each visit lasts 20 minutes. (Photo: Singapore Prison Service)
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