Pune: Yerwada Central Jail upgrades inmate communication with smartcard phones

In Maharashtra, prison inmates will now be able to stay in touch with their relatives using smartcard phones instead of the old-fashioned coin box system. The Yerwada Central Jail has introduced a pilot program to test this new service.

The inmates at Yerwada Central Jail have received a noteworthy upgrade with the introduction of smartcard phones on a trial basis. ADG Gupta, along with Dr Jalinder Supekar, a Special Inspector General of Police, and other senior officers, officially inaugurated this new facility. This marks a significant development for the inmates.

In the past, inmates used coin boxes to communicate with their families, but these became obsolete due to their unavailability and lack of repair options. Facility closures further hindered inmate-family communication. To address security risks and improve communication, ADG Gupta proposed testing smartcard phones at Yerwada Central Jail as an alternative to coin boxes.

As per the approved plan, a company from Tamil Nadu has supplied communication services to jail inmates. Beginning on Friday, eligible prisoners can now communicate with their families three times a month, with each session limited to 10 minutes. This development simplifies the process of staying in touch with loved ones, alleviating mental stress and enhancing prison security. Furthermore, it is anticipated to have a positive impact on the mental well-being of incarcerated individuals.

After evaluating the smart card phone service at Yerwada jail, it has been decided to extend the initiative to other jails across the state. Additionally, there are plans to improve the smart card phone system and make the eligibility criteria more flexible in the future.