Phone changes at HMP cutting off prisoners from outside world, inmate's mother says

Mother of inmate speaks out over changes to HMP phone system

11 months ago

Duration 3:30

Tonya Belbin says her son, Robert, has been passing along messages from other inmates who are unable to speak with their families inside the St. John's prison. She says the new pay-per-use system is keeping people from connecting to the outside world.

The parent of an inmate at Her Majesty's Penitentiary is speaking out about changes to the jail's phone system that she says are cutting people off from their last reliable contact with the outside world.

Tonya Belbinsaid her son, Robert, has been passing along messages from other inmates who are unable to speak with their families.

The new phone system requires funds be added to an account with a credit card by someone outside the jail, which she says is a barrier for many inmates incarcerated alongside her son. Calls start at $1, Belbin said, but they used to be free.

"Human contact is a basic need we all have," Belbin told CBC News."Just because they're inmates, doesn't mean they're not people with rights. They're humans, and we wouldn't let any of our family members be treated that way."

In a statement to CBC News, the Department of Justice and Public Safety says the free calls were a temporary measure because of a technical issue with their telecommunications provider, and that pay-per-use systems have been in place for over 20 years.

It noted family and friends can deposit funds into an inmate's personal phone account for calls, and collect calls are available.

Tensions rising as inmates become more isolated, mother says

Visits to Her Majesty's Penitentiary were shut down at the end of September due to mould in the visitation area. Paired with a staffing shortage, said Belbin, that has resulted in a strained environment inside the jail.

"Tensions have been ramped up for a long time," she said."One of the issues being staff shortages, so as a result about 60 per cent of the time is spent in lockdown."

Belbin said her son who is awaiting trial on a charge of murder in connection with the death of Seamus Secordin St. John's gets out of his cell for showers and mealsbut often nothing else. Things like programming and recreation time have been limited, she said.

"It's taking away any hope, which is incredibly sad," she said.

Given the current climate inside the jail, Belbin said free phone access is crucial.

"For what seems to me to be a money-saving venture, to put the expensive burden on the inmates makes no sense to me. They live in inhumane conditions as it is. They're constantly struggling with lockdowns due to staff shortages, and no visitation," she said.

"So throwing the cost of just contact with the outside world, to me makes absolutely no sense. All it's doing is serving to break down what hope the inmates have and keep in mind that many of them are not even convicted. They're there on remand."

Guards and inmates have panned conditions inside the jail for decades. More recently, CBC News obtained reports filed by guards outlining concerns about rodents, heat and mould.

A replacement for HMP was promised in 2019, with construction scheduledto be completed in 2022.

As of now, a location has been selected but construction has not begun.

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