Behind a sound-proof door, an inmate at Dubai Central Prison in Al Aweer struggled to contain his emotions as he spoke to his wife via a video call.
It was the first time that he had seen her since the pandemic struck. For now, in-person meetings are on hold as part of efforts to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The outbreak of the virus has changed much for prisoners who are well used to a rigid routine.
The National was granted rare access inside the prison doors to see how day-to-day life has evolved amid a public health crisis impacting all sections of society across the globe.
We started by installing thermal scanners at all entrances, increased the number of doctors in the jail and all inmates were tested
Instead of meeting face to face, inmates can now speak with their families for 15 minutes every week using Skype.
“Don’t cry. Please don’t cry,” the Nigerian citizen tried to console his wife even as he himself broke down.
The new service has allowed Dubai inmates to connect with their loved ones, inside and outside the country.
It enables them to lodge a request to speak with their families. Once approved, relatives will receive a text message with a link of the specific date and time for the call.
Another inmate waited outside the room for his turn.
"Before the pandemic I used to meet my wife and daughter twice a week," he told The National.
"Now they are in Cairo, and they have not been able to come back because of travel restrictions related to the pandemic.
"I miss them more than words could ever describe, especially since my daughter was born in the same month I was arrested and she's four years old right now. So I have not been able to really spend any time with her.”
The 44-year-old was imprisoned in August 2016 for financial crimes.
He said he was grateful for the opportunity to remain in contact with those closest to him, even though they remain far away.
“During the Covid-19 crisis, the way the facilities here have allowed us to see them on Skype, has really helped keep us comforted and happy,” he said.
Another inmate, whose family lives in the UK, said before the pandemic he would rarely see his wife and children.
“The jail started using Skype and for me, that was the best thing that happened. I see them once a week now. I see my wife and six children and it is amazing.”
Medical centre to test all inmates
Prison chiefs have stepped up safety measures to protect inmates and staff alike.
A medical centre fully equipped with test rooms, lab, resting and X-ray rooms has been set up.
“We have put a mechanism in place to protect inmates from being infected with Covid-19," said Brig Ali Mohammed Al Shamali, director of the general department of correctional institutions at Dubai Police.
"We started by installing thermal scanners at all department entrances to ensure there were no coronavirus infections.
"We increased the number of doctors in the jail and all inmates were tested. If there’s a need to quarantine any infected person, we will do it.
"We have quarantine sections for both men and women.”
All staff get their temperatures checked before entering the premises.
They are given gloves, a face mask and a face shield, and made to pass through a sterilisation gate.
Those in close contact with inmates are tested for the virus every two weeks. Inmates can consult doctors remotely as part of social distancing measures.
“All inmates are tested regularly whether they are old or new inmates. We always check for vital signs, symptoms or diseases that require medical attention," Brig Al Shamali said.
"We would refer them to a doctor online. If the inmates condition requires a visit to the clinic, the inmate is sent to the clinic to be examined by a doctor face to face. In case any infection occurs and which requires a hospital visit, we will summon the ambulance to transport them to the hospital.”
New inmates are screened and allowed admission only after they test negative for the virus.
An Australian citizen, who has been in jail since 2018, said he feels safe inside the prison.
“In my opinion, the way things are handled here are as good, or probably even better than outside," the inmate said.
"We are kept segregated. We are always looked after and given medical treatment. In addition, during the pandemic, there was no crossing over.
Distancing is key
The Al Aweer facility can hold more than 4,000 inmates.
During the pandemic, however, about 30 per cent of the prison population were released to reduce crowding, Brig Al Shamali said.
"Presence in the lecture rooms has been reduced. Formerly, inmates used to eat inside cafeterias.
"Then we started delivering food to their cells in disposable packaging. However, we have now allowed inmates to visit the cafeterias with a maximum limit of 30 inmates each time.”
Social distancing measures are followed in all offices, buildings and inmates' facilities such as lecture and art rooms, the library and the gym.
“There's a gym here that we all use. There's also an outdoor area where we can train and exercise and get some sunlight. So that was still available to us," said a prisoner.
But obviously, it had to be shared between the different sections at different times. So, we're not there at the same time.”
Another inmate, who teaches jiu-jitsu at the prison, said he used to train four hours a day before the coronavirus outbreak.
“I trained a group of about 12 guys. When the crisis first came about, obviously, we could not conduct the jiu-jitsu classes because they involve very close contact," he said.
"Jiu-jitsu is a big part of my life, and I miss it very much. However, as things are progressively getting better, I see that we will definitely be able to do it again.”
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The line up
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Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
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This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
The Dictionary of Animal Languages
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Scribe
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Norway
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Canada
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
