Dhanbad is the first district of India to have successfully implemented the unique and innovative idea of Video-visitation using VC facility between Jail and Pragya Kendras (CSCs) at every block HQ. This facility allows the inmate inside the jail and their relatives outside to communicate video conferencing using State Wide Area Network (SWAN i.e JharNet).
Video visitation is the use of video conferencing systems and software to allow inmates of a jail and visitors (friends, family members, relatives etc) to interact without physically meeting or travelling to jail campus. It has dramatically improved the productivity of jail staff as well as security of jails. It has provided inmates and their family members a psychological security as they could interact with ease, convenience, clarity, privacy and at lesser cost.
Under the old system of face to face visitation, a relative visits a jail, seeks appointment while the jail inmate is transferred from the housing area to the visitor area. The meeting is held with the visitor in the open area and the jail inmate inside a netter area. There is a lack of privacy and at the same time, meeting is a chaos as it is held in crowds. Further, as the visitor has to travel to long distances to jails, they could not come at regular intervals.
In the new system, a visitor goes to a nearby block CSC (Pragya Kendra) and applies for an appointment. The VLE at the CSC gets the appointment either on phone or on the online scheduling system. The jail authorities verify the applicability of the appointment as per the Jail manuals and either approves or rejects the appointment. On approval, the visitor visits the nearest block CSC and pays Rs 10 for a 15 min video-conferencing session. The VLE starts the VC session at his end while jail operator starts it at his end. The visitor has to submit details of his identity and his relation with the jail inmate which is documented for security reasons. The jail authorities can record the VC if required.
As the facility is on SWAN (JharNet is operational in 200 blocks), practically any block of the State can access the service. Integration of the SWAN and CSC facilities has resulted not only in an innovative citizen convenience facility, the government has approved the rate of Rs 10 for a VC session to be charged by VLEs adding to the income of the VLEs.
Video visitation has been implemented in Dhanbad divisional jail since the last one year and is available at all 8 block HQ CSCs with success. While the results are encouraging, publicity is being enhance so as to make the facility known to the masses. As all jails and CSCs already have the required IT infrastructure, the service is all set to be replicated across the state.
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