Coin box phones make way for new smart card system at Yerawada jail

This move will also help in bringing down the smuggling of mobiles in jail, officials said. At the launch, a total of six inmates used the opportunity to talk to their families.

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An inmate can call three times a month, and each call will be cut automatically after 10 minutes, said officials. (Express Photo byt Pavan Khengre)

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A smart card-based calling system has been introduced at Yerawada Central Jail to enable prisoners to communicate with their family members.

Amitabh Gupta, ADGP of Prison and Correctional Services, was the chief guest at the launch of the pilot project. Yerawada jail has about 7,000 prisoners including 268 women. After a verification process, names will be listed of those who will be provided with a smart card. A person can call three times a month, and each call will be cut automatically after ten minutes, officials said. Inmates have to provide three numbers to whom they can talk and these numbers will be fed into the card, they said.

Gupta said the motive of this project is to bring reformation in prisoners’ behaviour. “Convicted and under-trial people should not feel unsatisfied and depressed, they should be in touch with their family relatives. After getting bail or being released permanently they are often seen to be mistreated, so their relationship with society should be good,” he said.

This move will also help in bringing down the smuggling of mobiles in jail, officials said. At the launch, a total of six inmates used the opportunity to talk to their families. “I am feeling so happy talking to my mother after four months who is in her 80s,” said Anil Jagannath Pawar (53), a murder convict from Ahmednagar.

Asked about the possibility of the card being misused, an official said, “To avoid the making of groups and running of gangs, we will keep a record of each prisoner and the recording of the call will be done for security purposes.” Sunil M Dhamal, Superintendent of Yerawada jail, said that there is also a banned category who are excluded from using this facility. “People who are convicted for cases under MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act),

Naxalism, terrorism, and foreigners won’t be allowed to take any call,” the official said.
Gupta said while addressing the press conference that, earlier, there was a coin box system with nearly 20 such boxes placed in different yards and circles for all. “Coin system was used two times in a month which became old and has been shut down.