KOCHI: The security cover at Ernakulam District Jail, Kakkanad, will be tightened with the authorities set to introduce CCTV cameras soon.
According to the jail officials, the cameras, equipped with night vision facility, will help keep prisoners under scrutiny day and night. They added that the government has allocated `38 lakh in this regard. “The work to install cameras is on. There would be 48 cameras for the surveillance of inmates and visitors. It would be installed inside the cells and at other significant spots. The work will be completed within a few months and the funds have been granted by the PWD Department,” the authorities said.
This comes as a relief for the Prison Department which is reeling under shortage of manpower and increasing number of inmates. As many as 7,076 prisoners are lodged at different jails in the state in the place of the actual 6,217 whereas there is less than 500 officials to monitor the functioning of jails.
Video Conferencing System a Hit The video conferencing system connecting the district jail with various courts has turned very effective. “Every week, many accused are produced before the magistrates and judges in Kochi and Aluva through the video conferencing system. Earlier, many officials had to be appointed to take the accused to jail on a daily basis. After the video conferencing system was introduced, the accused in smaller cases are presented before the magistrates via the system,” said T O Thomas, welfare officer, Kakkanad District Jail.