Georgian Public Defender in his 2013 report recommend the Minister of Corrections.
However, the recommendation is yet to be implemented.
2.7.3. VIDEO VISITS
According to Article 171 of the Imprisonment Code a convict placed in a penitentiary
institution has the right to video-visits (direct audio and visual telecommunication)
visit with any individuals. Exceptions are convicts serving their sentences in highsecurity prisons and shoes defined by Article 50, Part I, Paragraph F.
Video-visits play an important role in maintaining relations between prisoners and
their family members and positively contributes to the processes of recosialistion
of the former. Video visits are of particular importance as both family members and
friends and other persons closer to a convict may take part.
According to Clause 2 of Decree 55 of the Minister of Corrections dated April 5, 2011
convicts are eligible to one video visit per ten calendar days from 10:00 to 18:00 and
with the maximum duration of 15 minutes.
According to Article 171 of the Code video-visits are subject to fees to be paid to a
bank account of the National Bureau of Probation and accommodates to the goals
and objectives of the Bureau. As per the Minister’s decision video-visits may be
exempt from a fee. However, Part IV1 of the same Article provides a condition under
which persons defined by Article 17, Part II registered in a unified registry for socially
unprotected households and having with the assessment score lower than an official
marginal rating are exempt from a fee.
Fees for video-visits are paid by a convict, his/her legal representative or a person
willing to participate in a video-visit. The Minister of Corrections makes a decision on
selecting the institutions to provide video-visits to convicts, number of video-visits,
duration, the amount to be paid for such visits and procedures for the implementation.
It is worth noting that adequate infrastructure for video-visitations is available in only
four penitentiary institutions193 (Institutions N5, N11, N15 and N17). The table below
provides information on video-visits implemented in 2014.
N
Penitentiary Institution
Number of Video-Visits
1.
Institution N5
9
2.
Institution N11
3
193 Institution 16 underwent rehabilitation throughout 2014
150 NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM OF GEORGIA
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