Phone facility for Bangalore prisoners soon

The Karnataka Government has approved a proposal provide inmates of Bangalore Central prison with access to telephone facilities, clearing the decks for setting up ten telephone booths at the prison premises.

Karnataka’s Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) S T Ramesh told reporters that the Department of Prisons will soon approach state-owned telecommunication company Bharath Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to set up telephone booths at the Bangalore Central prison situated at Parappana Agrahara on the outskirts of the City.

Admitting that the “bold” decision of the Department of Prisons to provide prisoners with access to telephone was “fraught with risks”, Ramesh said the authorities would evolve guidelines to regulate and monitor the use of telephones by the inmates. “The prisoners will be allowed access to telephones under strict supervision. Their conversations will be recorded for safety purpose”, he said.

Justifying the decision to provide prisoners with access to telephones, Ramesh said such a facility would ensure that the prison inmates are be in touch with their family members, besides their near and dear ones. “This will reduce the mental and psychological burden on them”, he said.

The prisoners will have to buy telephone cards and make use of them to contact their kith and kin. Ramesh said the Department of Prisons in Karnataka would consider extending the same facility to all prisons across the State after securing a feedback on the facility at Bangalore Central prison.