Authorities at His Majesty’s Prison are considering whether to allow family visitations during the holiday season, despite issues with non-adherence to rules and possession of prohibited items.

This decision followed a three-year hiatus when family visitations were cancelled. Colonel Trevor Pennyfeather, the Prison Superintendent, recently stated that the final decision will depend on the availability of staff to supervise family members and prisoners.

He acknowledged that having family members stay with prisoners would require an agreement for additional staff, which could be a challenge due to limited staff during the holiday season.

Nevertheless, family members will be permitted to bring Christmas lunches to their loved ones in prison.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person family visitations during the Christmas season were previously prohibited, and a virtual visitation system was established in 2021 to maintain contact between family members and prisoners.

The system had two computer systems that generated unique login password codes for each visit, and appointments had to be made in advance.

Each session lasted for 20 minutes, and no more than three family members were allowed to participate.