Detainees to be entitled to several phone calls

Chisinau, 14 September /MOLDPRES/- An order providing for change in the number and duration of phone calls which convicts are entitled will be published in the Official Journal of Moldova on 15 September.

Under the document, the duration of telephone conversations and their number will be determined by the administration of the penitentiary according to some rules set by the Justice Ministry.

The document sees that to benefit from longer talks, the detainees should have exemplary behavior, and will be able to appeal, if they do not agree with the prison administration’s decision.

Thus, according to the new rules, adults sentenced to life imprisonment are entitled to 10-40 minute phone calls a week and young people in juvenile penitentiaries can speak on the phone for up to 60 minutes a week.

Persons in pre-trial detention are entitled to long-term phone conversations: adults 20-40 minutes, minors 40-60 minutes a week. Convicts with children up to seven years of age are entitled to 40-60 minute phone conversations. The incentive measure in the form of granting the permission to have additional phone calls will be offered within the limit set for each convict, given the penalty regime.

Previously, prisoners had phone calls of up to 20 minutes a week.

(Reporter A. Zara, editor M. Jantovan)