E-card calling system introduced at Taloja jail

Inmates inside Taloja jail using e-card calling facilities. Pic/mid-day

The Taloja Jail has introduced the long-awaited e card call system, allowing prisoners to make three calls per week to their relatives. Additionally, the jail now boasts e-Kiosk machines for inmates to access their case details and important dates, as well as send greeting messages to loved ones. The Taloja jail has also made designated rooms for the video call facility inside the prison.

Furthermore, the prison has implemented Internet calling facilities, enabling inmates to make one video call daily in a designated room. These facilities were inaugurated by Maharashtra's ADG (Prison), Amitabh Gupta, and ADG Prabhat Kumar (Civil Defence and Home Guard). Gupta engaged with inmates, addressing their concerns and promising improved facilities in the future.

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He emphasized that misuse of these amenities would result in disconnection of services for the entire "We are committed to enhancing the quality of life within the prison and ensuring that inmates have access to basic necessities," stated Gupta.

Speaking to the press, Gupta emphasized, "The introduction of e-card facilities for making calls will significantly reduce incidents of phone smuggling within the prison. We have already implemented e-card facilities, where each card stores three numbers of the prisoner's relatives, allowing them to make calls to any of these numbers three times a week."

"In recent cases across Maharashtra, illegal smuggling of phones into prisons has been reported. We have taken action against our own officials. However, since the implementation of e-card phone facilities, such incidents have decreased. We aim to expand the number of e-card facilities for phones across Maharashtra's prisons," Gupta added.

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Currently, Maharashtra has 60 different prisons housing around 42 thousand prisoners.

To bridge the communication gap between the inmates lodged in jail and their relatives and lawyers, the Maharashtra Prison Department has started installing Smart Card Telephones in the city's prisons.

Recently, the facility was installed at the Byculla District Jail, which also houses the Mumbai District Women's jail. This facility will be availed by 378 male inmates, 372 female inmates and one transgender.

Prison authorities said that this facility will also soon be installed at the Kalyan, Thane jails also.