Prison personnel to get body worn cameras
The Odisha government would deploy drone cameras and equip jail personnel with body worn cameras to keep tab on activities inside in sensitive jails.
“We will procure drone cameras to have better inside-surveillance in sensitive jails. Besides, video walls are being planned like other States in different jails,” said Santosh Upadhyay, Director of Directorate of Prison and Correctional Services.
About 20 body worn cameras were being procured as part of a pilot project in Bhubaneswar and Choudwar jails, Mr. Upadhyay said.
The body worn cameras would be used during searches when inmates come back from the court and hospital to correctional homes and during surprise check of cells or barracks by teams of correctional homes to detect illegal items like mobile phones, contraband, currency, weapons and cigarette.
Designated senior officer of the jails with the in-charge of the control room would analyse the recorded data on regular basis for monitoring and supervision of the staff.
In case of any allegations or complaints, the recorded data may be analysed immediately and copies preserved with due authentication, says the Standard Operating Procedure issued for body-worn cameras.
“We are also starting prisoners calling system as pilot projects in Bhubaneswar and Choudwar jails. Each prisoner can get access to two pre-fixed phones only for 5 minutes duration. Four booths, including one exclusively for women, will be installed at each jail,” he said.
The calling system will be initially experimented in Bhubaneswar and Choudwar jails and later it will be extended to other jails, said Director of Prison adding that it would help curb unauthorised calls as calls would have recording facility too.
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