At Yerwada jail, prisoners to get smart cards to call up family members thrice a month

A person can call three times a month and each call will automatically get disconnected after ten minutes, officials said. “Inmates have to provide three phone numbers they wish to call and these numbers will be fed into the respective cards,” the jail authorities 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 the jail premises, officials said.

At the launch, a total of six inmates used the opportunity to talk to their families. “I am feeling so happy after talking to my mother after four months who is in her 80s,” said a murder convict from Ahmednagar.

Asked about the possibility of the card being misused, an official said, “To avoid running of gangs, we will keep a record of each prisoner and the calls will be recorded for security purposes.”

According to Sunil M Dhamal, Superintendent of Yerwada jail, 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 were 20 coin box systems which were placed in different yards and circles for all. “The coin box systems could be used two times in a month but after they became old, the facility was shut down. Later, mobile phones were used as an informal alternative and now the State Home Ministry has come up with this initiative,” said Gupta.

Other officials at the launch included Swati Sathe, DIG (western region), and Jalindar Supekar, Special IGP.