Body cameras and drone cameras to be used in Bhubaneswar and Choudwar jails

Bhubaneswar: In a new initiative, Directorate of Prisons and Correctional Services Odisha has directed that body worn cameras and drone cameras will be used at Special Jail, Bhubaneswar and Circle Jail, Cuttack at Choudwar for transparency security and protection of human rights.

It will also help in dealing with various issues regarding complaints and allegations of staff against inmates in terms of behaviour and vice-versa within prison premises and during movement or admission at hospitals. Smoothen procedural impediments of security maintenance in prisons, to facilitate role of prisons/correctional staff at cells, entrance security level, judicial section etc. wherever the direct contact with inmates is established.

It will also help to facilitate role of correctional administrators in reformation and rehabilitation of inmates, for future policy making as per existing international, constitutional, legal and judicial standards and practices.

These cameras can be used in areas:

• where allegations are generally made by inmates against correctional staff
• where complaints are generally made by jail staff against inmates
• which are not covered by CCTV cameras in prison premises
• which are covered by CCTV cameras in prison premises but close monitoring by BWC’s is needed
• any other area where trouble is anticipated.

It is recommended that BWC’S may be used for searching and frisking, during searches, when inmates come back from court to correctional homes, during searches on return of inmates from hospital, during surprise check of cells/barracks, by teams of correctional homes to detect illegal items like mobile phones, contraband, currency, weapons, cigarette, etc. , while handling high risk criminals and while escorting high risk criminals to the hospital.

Click here to read the implementation and analysis of recorded data of the cameras

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