Prison radio and TV are a lifeline during coronavirus

Work with offenders looks at how prison TV and radio are informing and supporting prisoners throughout the COVID-19 pandemic

It is hard to overstate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on people in prison. Most prisoners are being locked up for more than 20 hours per day. The most constructive parts of the prison regime – education, training, reducing reoffending programmes and gym – have been almost totally suspended. Religious services have been stopped.

On top of this, prisoners are no longer able to look forward to a visit from a loved one.

Accurate information about the impact of COVID-19 on prison life, and about what’s happening in the outside world, is hard to come by. Prison staff are working incredibly hard to support people in prison and keep them informed, but they are stretched and sometimes unable to access accurate information themselves.

This is where Prison Radio and Television services are stepping up to deliver a service that is even more vital than usual.

National Prison Radio (NPR) has opened a freephone line. It is available to everyone in prison via the wing phones, to allow listeners to keep in touch via voicemail. In the past week alone, NPR has received well over 1,000 calls. These messages go into programmes across the schedule – whether they’re questions to be put to the experts and those who run prisons, messages of support to each other, messages of thanks to prison staff (very common), song requests or shout outs.

Although NPR is having to produce its output from virtual studios, it has adapted and increased its broadcast schedule to respond to the crisis:

• Prison News updates refresh several times a day, to help prisoners keep up with a rapidly developing situation. The bulletins provide news specifically relating to prison life, such as how the courts and parole boards are operating, what’s happening with daily prison regimes and which prisons are experiencing positive diagnoses of coronavirus.
• Regular interviews with senior Prison Service officials who explain what changes are being made to help support people in prison at this difficult time including temporary changes to the Incentive and Earned Privileges scheme to ensure everyone has free access to television as well as information about alternative ways to keep in touch with loved ones.
• The Family and Friends Request Show has been doubled to 4 hours per week, allowing more families and friends to keep in touch with their loved ones by requesting a track for the person behind bars.

NPR has also negotiated with the BBC to be allowed to broadcast the Corporation’s Coronavirus Newscast – a podcast that prisoners wouldn’t normally be able to access since it’s only available online.

In similar fashion, Wayout TV, a prison TV service, has also adapted to respond to prisoners’ concerns. As well as broadcasting quizzes, in-cell workouts and extra in-cell video courses, the organisation has also secured new deals with British Muslim TV, Sikh TV, Alpha and the C3 Church Christian YouTube broadcaster for regular live Sunday Services.

Wayout TV has also developed three new video courses (Painting & Decorating, Electrics and Business Start-up) which it is broadcasting to prisoners on a daily basis.

As well as this centralised output, Wayout TV runs a slot known as “YourLocal” where each establishment transmits their local notices, advice and guidance about what is going on in the individual prison. The organisation is also pioneering a voicemail service where Governors can leave a message for prisoners for which Wayout TV animates text and graphics before transmitting it within an hour. This ability for individual prisons to provide bespoke information directly to their residents to keep them updated and explain the rationale behind any modifications and adaptations to the prison regime is critical to help both staff and residents cope with the unprecedented pressures of living through the coronavirus pandemic.