(which has had 12 cases) brought in a ban on physical contact during visits. Kuwait, with 69 cases, also banned prison visits. The Netherlands also banned prison visits, except for children who are in detention, following the government measures closing most public places and lifting the right to hold assemblies as of 13 March 2020. Several measures adopted to limit contact with the outside world for people in prison indicated discriminatory treatment of certain categories. For instance, the Minister of Internal Security in Israel (where there are a reported 39 cases) ordered that all visits to Palestinian people in detention, or ‘security prisoners’ are to be suspended. Hungarian authorities announced that prisons would make provision for ‘special supervision’ for visits involving relatives who are foreign nationals. In the United States, 52 New York state prisons are required to implement a new screening protocol for visitors which involved a series of questions being asked regarding illness, symptoms and travel outside of the country, including that of any family member. The authorities stated that they were ‘committed to ensuring family and friends are able to visit with loved ones, with as limited disruption to the normal visiting process as possible.’8 The Irish Prison Service updated its visiting protocols, and made the temporary restrictions to visits available to the public online.9 The restrictions include a limitation to one visit per prisoner per week and a limitation to two adults per visit. In England and Wales, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, issued guidance on 13 March 2020 stating ‘prisons will continue to operate normally, with the minimum disruption, for as long as possible’.10 Any limitations on contact with the outside world should be proportionate, including by being time limited and non-discriminatory While restrictions on face-to-face or contact visits for people in detention can be legitimate to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks in facilities, authorities bringing in such measures need a comprehensive and transparent decision-making policy. In case of restrictions, these need to be proportionate to the goal of preventing (or responding to) an outbreak. Contact visits must be replaced by increased means and opportunities of contacting the outside world, for example, by phone, emails or video calls. Decisions to limit or restrict visits need to bear in mind that contact is essential to the mental wellbeing of people in detention and can reduce levels of violence. In many countries it is common for visitors to bring prisoners supplies of food, drinks, sanitary items and medicine. Furthermore, restricting visits from legal representatives can bring increased levels of anxiety and impact on the right to fair trials. For caregivers, separation from children can bring a whole host of consequences for both the caregiver and the child(ren) affected. Any decision should be communicated promptly to all people affected with clear information on the restrictions and time periods for review or lifting of such policies. New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision press release, available at https://doccs.ny.gov/doccs-increased-screeningprotocols-covid-19-visitors-facilities 9 Irish Prison Service visitor information, 12 March 2020, available at https://www.irishprisons.ie/6664-2/. 8 Guidance issued by the Ministry of Justice of the United Kingdom and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, 13 March 2020, available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19and-prisons. 10 Page 6 of 13 www.penalreform.org