THREAD: For some prisoners and their families, the rollout of video calls in a number of prisons has enabled them to see their loved ones during the lockdown. Though video calls cannot and must not substitute in-person visits, this has brought some relief to some people. (1/6)

From talking with prisoners, families and @PurpleVisits, we have some top tips for getting the most out of your video calls. Remember, Purple Visits video calls use facial recognition software. To limit the number of times it stops to verify your identity... (2/6)

1. Make sure everyone on the call has their whole face in view, not half face. (3/6)

2. If you have a baby or toddler on the call, make sure their face isn’t obscured by a dummy. (4/6)

3. Do you have family photos in the background? The software may pick up their faces and count them as an unauthorised callers, so make sure they are out of shot! (5/6)

4. Want to show your loved one in prison round the house, the kid’s bedroom or the garden? The best thing to do is flip the camera and not have any faces showing. That way, you won’t risk only showing half a face and the software needing to stop to check your identity. (6/6)