Two employees of the Roermond prison are not welcome in prison for the time being and are currently not receiving a salary because they refuse to wear a face mask. In doing so, they ignore prison policy.
This is apparent from information from L1 and is confirmed by prison spokesman Robert Meijer.
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Mouth cap refusers
At the beginning of this month, the situation reached a boiling point. Four employees of the institution in Roermond refused to wear a mask during their work, according to the prison management without valid reason. Meijer says that ‘penetrating conversations’ have been held with the foursome. Two of the refusers agreed after those talks. One of them had medical reasons not to wear a mouth cap and now works with an adapted mask.
Vulnerable health
The other duo stood their ground. These employees are not welcome in prison for the time being. “They were sent home by the management without continued payment of wages. Disciplinary steps towards these people are being worked out,” said spokesman Meijer. “A mask is mandatory, because we are responsible for the health of detainees and staff.”
According to Meijer, the prison is doing everything it can to prevent new corona infections. “A safe living and working environment must be provided. We house detainees who have, or may have, a vulnerable health.”
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Unrest again
It is not the first time that mouth caps cause unrest within the Roermond prison. Not long after the outbreak of the corona pandemic, a number of employees decided to wear face masks during their work. This caused unrest among prisoners, because face masks were not yet mandatory at the time. The management has issued a warning to the employees concerned.