Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Prisons A Narasimham launched a telephone facility at the Rajahmundry Central Jail here today, to enable prisoners speak to their family members and others.
The facility would be extended to prisoners serving life sentences and others for five minutes on payment of Rs 20 to talk to their family members, friends and lawyers.
"This is the first time in the country such a facility has been started. We are also taking steps to introduce this initiative in other parts of the state.
We will fix the time and date for each prisoner and allocate the same to them irrespective of their punishment. We will only give five minutes to speak. After five minutes are over, the prisoner himself would disconnect the phone and hand it over," he said.
He said that more than ten prisoners spoke to their relatives today.
One such prisoner, serving a life sentence, told PTI, "I spoke to my family members for five minutes. I was fully satisfied and got information about my family. I am thankful to the DIG Prisons for this facility."
The Rajahmundry Central Jail has its origins in a fort constructed by the Dutch in Rajahmundry in 1602.
The British empire converted the Dutch built fort into a jail in 1864 and elevated it to a Central Jail in 1870.
The Rajahmundry Central Jail is spread over 196 acres, out of which the buildings occupy approximately 37.24 acres.
It is the biggest and oldest jail in Andhra Pradesh.