Sharjah 24: Changes imposed by the Corona pandemic were not limited to our daily, family and professional meetings, but also affected those who spend their sentence in penal and correctional facilities. The impact of the pandemic was positive, in one case, whereas the Family Forum Centre of the Sharjah Social Services Department (SSSD), in cooperation with the management of Punitive and Correctional Department at Sharjah Police, allowed an inmate serving his prison sentence, to remotely share with his daughter, the joy of her marriage, which thrilled him and his family.

According to Fayza Khabab, director of the Family Forum Centre, the inmate expressed his desire to be part of his daughter marriage, as he wanted to have her father by her side at this important moment.

Khabab added that the Centre helps inmates' participation in weddings and occasions due to family to the importance of bonds, and the Centre is keen to promote inmates’ family bonds, which relieves the psychological pressures that they may feel. Also, this initiative comes within the strategies of the SSSD, to maintain family bonds within difficult circumstances.

Khabab stated that the Family Forum Centre was the first to provide the "e-visits" service in the UAE in 2017, and it started with children and inmates through the "Online" feature, where it allowed inmates and their families to meet and see each other.

Khabab concluded that, according to the management of Punitive and Correctional Department, the project receives, on a daily basis, around six inmates, to communicate remotely with their families, with a total number of 486 e-visits since the beginning of the year and until June inside and outside the country.