5. CONTACT WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD Virtual visits This includes video-conferencing and other forms of remote communication. They may be particularly useful for foreign nationals and those whose families live far away, but should not be used as a substitute for in-person visits where these are possible. PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE Allocation to prison facilities 19 It is much easier for prisoners to maintain contact with families and friends if the detention facility is easy to access and they are located close to their home or place of social rehabilitation, in accordance with Rule 59. Location of family and other contacts should therefore be a key consideration for those determining the allocation of individual prisoners. 20 Prisoners should be able to request transfer to a facility closer to their home or place of usual residence. All prisoners should be given information about how to request a transfer and, if they are unable to make the request themselves, others should be able to apply on their behalf. The procedures for assessing such requests must be fair and transparent. 21 Prisoners should never be allocated or transferred to a facility far from their family or friends as a form of punishment. In this regard, the CPT has noted that “the continuous moving of a prisoner from one establishment to another can have very harmful effects on his psychological and physical wellbeing. Moreover, a prisoner in such a position will have difficulty in maintaining appropriate contacts with his family and lawyer. The overall effect on the prisoner of successive transfers could under certain circumstances amount to inhuman and degrading treatment.”272 5 PROMISING PRACTICE: ASSISTANCE WITH FACILITATING FAMILY VISITS [5.3] 120 It is good practice for prison authorities to proactively encourage visits to prisoners. Prisons could consider assisting with transport and overnight accommodation for those travelling long distances. They could also establish links with local NGOs that may be able to help them with this. Transport sharing arrangements for those coming from other parts of a country may also be useful or authorities may consider voucher schemes or transport discounts for prison visitors. NGOs may also be able to facilitate contact with families in other ways, such as locating family members or delivering letters. In Cambodia, the organization This Life Cambodia works with children in prison and parents in conflict with the law. As part of their work, they facilitate monthly visits for the families of boys in prison, who are participating in vocational training programmes with the organization. Many of the families supported by This Life Cambodia would not be able to visit the boys in prison without the support of the organization, which manages the associated costs of travelling from their homes, often situated in rural and remote locations, to the prisons. Most families are able to visit the prison at least once a month with the support of the organization. An evaluation of the programme found that “(...) students [the boys in prison] agreed that seeing their families gave them hope to continue studying for a brighter future. Teachers also noticed happier students after family visitation. Vocational trainers reported that when students had not seen their families, they were often more stressed and unable to focus or concentrate on their study…when students had seen their families, trainers typically heard the students talking to each other about the visitation, which created a more positive atmosphere in the training centre.” The organization has also noted that “[o]ne of the most important aspects of family visits for the boys is the encouragement they receive from their parents to continue to focus on their study. This helps to keep boys positive”.273 272 273 272. 2nd General Report on the CPT’s activities, op. cit., note 79, para. 57. 273. This Life Beyond Bars: 3 Year Program Evaluation 2014, This Life Cambodia, August 2014, p. 31 at www.thislifecambodia.org/wp-content/ uploads/2015/01/2014-TLBB-3yr-Program-Evaluation.pdf. Guidance document on the Nelson Mandela Rules