3.7.3. VIDEO VISITS The significance of video visits243 in terms of maintaining a convicted person’s contact with the outside world is important as not only family members but also friends and closed ones can use it. Under Paragraph 2 of Order no. 55 of the Minister of Corrections of Georgia of 5 April 2011, video visits can be made no more than once within ten calendar days, within the working hours from 10:00 to 18:00. A single video visit to a convict should not exceed 15 minutes. The amendment made to the Imprisonment Code on 27 April 2016 is positively assessed as it stipulates that video visits for convicted persons shall be held free of charge.244 It is noteworthy that infrastructure is available for video visits only in five penitentiary establishments (nos. 5, 11, 15, 16, and 17). In 2016, 369 video visits were made in total. In the Parliamentary Reports of 2014 and 2015, the Public Defender recommended to the Minister of Corrections of Georgia to ensure that requisite infrastructure for video visits is available in all penitentiary establishments. According to the information received from the Ministry of Corrections,245 it is possible to arrange video visits in establishments nos. 5, 8, 11, 14, 15, 16, and 17. It should be positively mentioned that requisite infrastructure for video visits was provided in establishments nos. 8, and 14. The Public Defender welcomes the efforts of the Ministry and observes that the requisite infrastructure for video visits should be provided in all penitentiary establishments. 3.7.4. TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS The right to telephone conversations is one of the most important entitlements of an remand/convicted person and contributes to prisoners maintaining close ties with their family members and friends. Under Article 14.1.a.d), an remand/convicted person has the right to telephone conversations and correspondence. A convicted person serving a sentence in a low risk prison facility may enjoy an unlimited number of telephone conversations during one month at his/her own expense, each lasting for not longer than 15 minutes, and  telephone conversations of unlimited duration at his/her own expense as an incentive.246 A convicted person serving a sentence in a semiopen type prison facility may enjoy 4 telephone conversations a month at his/her own expense, each lasting for not longer than 15 minutes, and, as an incentive, an unlimited number of telephone conversations, each lasting for not longer than 15 minutes.247 A convicted person serving a sentence in a closed type prison facility  may enjoy 3 telephone 243 Imprisonment Code, Article 171. 244 Imprisonment Code, Article 171.4. 245 The Opinions of the Ministry of Corrections of Georgia on the Recommendations Determined by the Resolution of the Parliament of Georgia regarding the Report of the Public Defender of Georgia on Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms in Georgia in 2015. 246 Imprisonment Code, Article 6022.c). 247 Imprisonment Code, Article 62.2.c). NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM (NPM), 2016 113