The Legal Aid Society welcomed news from the New York City Department of Correction to resume in-person visits at local jails after more than a year as part of a health measure meant to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, as reported by The New York Times.

Throughout the coronavirus public health emergency, family members and attorneys were relegated to video chats to communicate – a fact especially hard for people in jail in such a trying time.

Mary Lynne Werlwas, Director of The Legal Aid Society’s Prisoners’ Rights Project, hopes video chats will remain an option for people who cannot travel to city jails, but noted the tangible emotional and psychological benefits for in-person visits for inmates and families alike.

“You can’t see someone’s health over the video, you can’t hug them, and the televisits were extraordinarily delayed and cumbersome,” Werlwas said.