Today, (March 26, 2020), we filed an urgent petition with the High Court of Justice, demanding it order the Israel Prison Service (IPS) and the Ministry of Health to publicly issue directives for the delivery of medical services to inmates during the corona crisis and state what measures are being taken to prevent the spread of the virus within the prison system.

The corona pandemic poses a significant threat to inmates due to both severe overcrowding, which precludes observing the directives of the Ministry of Health regarding safe distance from others, and the large number of inmates who fit a higher risk profile due to age or chronic conditions. This situation has left inmates and their families in a state of anxiety and uncertainty.

The IPS has yet to issue clear information about the steps it is taking during this time of crisis, making only brief, generalized press releases.

In the petition, we demanded the IPS publicly release information, accessible to inmates as well, on how it is ensuring inmates continue to receive secondary medical care, including by electronic means, as is the practice in health funds which continue to provide medical services as usual.

PHRI has also demanded the IPS state what preparations it was making to provide psychosocial support and treatment for inmates during the crisis; what contingency plans are in place in case a large proportion of a prison’s medical and general staff fall ill and what steps are being implemented to prevent the spread of the virus and infection among inmates who are at risk, other than reducing the number of people visiting prisons.

As a public agency, the IPS must operate according to publicly accessible directives and protocols. This holds true in ordinary times and is doubly important during a state of emergency, when the inmate population is in a state of anxiety and uncertainty. Visits from family members and meetings with lawyers have been suspended due to the state of emergency, and restrictions have been placed on filing prisoner’s petitions. Under these circumstances, directives are more significant than ever for preventing arbitrary conduct and impingements on inmates’ rights.

The petition was filed by Adv. Tamir Blank.