Families of prisoners in Siberia are using web cameras to communicate with their families and friends. It’s the first instance in Russia but the authorities hope it will be rolled out in prisons across the country.

For inmates of a Krasnoyark prison, personal visits from family and friends are rare because many of them are hundreds of miles from home. For their parents it’s often too far and too expensive to travel. But those hurdles have been overcome.

The prison authorities have made available for the inmates virtual visits through Skype, an internet communication tool.

Aleksandr Neryakhin comes to his nearest prison-link centre every week to catch up with his son Denis.

“When you haven’t seen someone for a while you really miss their face. My son's too far away to go and visit. Instead, this internet visit is a chance to actually see what he looks like now. And I can see that my son looks good, which means he’s leading a healthy lifestyle. That's reassuring,” he says.

Relatives say it's not quite the same as seeing a loved one in person, but it's better than a phone call or a letter.

The inmates, who haven't seen their relatives for years, say they welcome the new technology.

“Internet visits with relatives are definitely a good idea. Prisons are so far away that few people can afford to make the trip. By using the internet we still keep our social rights,” said prisoner Sergey Tefanov.

Prison authorities say personal visits are a security and logistical hassle. So the internet visit system decreases the risk of smuggling and the expense of staff escorting the inmates. They also say convicts who have greater social contact with the outside world find the transition into life-after-prison easier, and are less likely to re-offend.

“The more opportunities an inmate has to communicate with their relatives, the more likely they will behave well. And they're less likely to try to escape. With more social contact they'll be better psychologically balanced and will be more determined to finish their term,” said Andrey Lukharin, the Krasnoyarsk staff member.
 
Prison authorities now hope to roll-out this system across the country – to cater for the social rights of all Russians behind bars.