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Covid Means I Can't See My Partner In Prison. It’s Been Torture
England may be finishing its second national lockdown, but for many families like mine, the first lockdown never really ended. That’s because my partner, Chris, is awaiting trial – on drug importation charges – in Guernsey prison, and we haven’t been allowed to see him since March.
While all UK prisons have operated different regimes during lockdown, I’ve yet to come across another with procedures quite so strict. Guernsey requires visitors to isolate for 14 days on arrival to the island, and unsurprisingly there probably isn’t a single UK inmate whose family can afford to travel to the Channel Islands and quarantine for 14 days so they can see their loved one.
The past seven months have been an extremely stressful and emotional time, made worse by the fact that Chris’ trial has been delayed to March 2021 due to coronavirus. He’s been detained since November 2019, and it’s almost unheard of for someone to be on remand this long. According to Parliament, the average remand time in 2016 was just 39 days.
Unlike most English prisons, Guernsey has also refused to fund video calls between inmates and families. It hasn’t even provided free phone calls either. This means some of Britain’s poorest families have been forced to fork out £10 just to catch a glimpse of their parent, partner or child.
Lockdown has, for both of us, been lonely without the promise of a monthly visit. But it doesn’t compare to the mental health impact of waiting 18 months to find out whether your partner is spending the next three decades in jail.
I did once try a video call with Chris, but it cut out every time I moved my face – and unfortunately, this made it impossible to have a conversation. It was really frustrating and sad. I managed to stay positive during the call, but couldn’t hold back the tears afterwards. Eventually, we both decided it would be cheaper and easier to use the phone.
Lockdown has, for both of us, been lonely without the promise of a monthly...
