NewsColony

Coranavirus: Emergency plan for prisons in England and Wales NewsColony The government is drawing up emergency plans to avoid disruption in England’s prisons, with unions saying prison officers face “unprecedented” challenges. Prison staff will be offered bonuses to cover shortages – and staff could be redeployed to cover front line services. A number of inmates died during unrest at several Italian prisons last week after visits were suspended. The Prison Officers Association has compared conditions in England’s prisons to those found on cruise ships and the Prison Governors Association has said cases of the virus are inevitable. BBC News has seen advice issued to prisons, which says inmates who had contact with a known coronavirus patient should be isolated in single accommodation. It is understood plans being drawn in up in Whitehall involve communicating regularly with inmates, making sure they can contact their families and providing extra materials – like books and magazi...