<p>The central prison planned at Mudipu on the outskirts of the city at an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore will be equipped with state-of-the art high security apparatus.<br /><br />Addressing media on Wednesday here, Director General of Police (Prisons) H N Satyanarayana Rao said, “A comprehensive proposal submitted to government in this regard includes modern and high security apparatuses like automatic doors and spikes (depending on the availability, as it has to be imported from other countries), bulletproof visitors’ galleries with intercom facility, followed by a helipad, a library, a hospital and 270 staff quarters among other facilities in compliance with the All India Prisons Manual. It is already implemented in Andhra Pradesh.”<br /><br />Rao said, “The project has got a push with the Public Works Department inviting tender for works and with Rs two crore already being sanctioned for the purpose. An additional Rs 7.5 crore has been announced in the recent budget, with works expected to kick-off soon.<br /><br />“The Department is already in possession of 67.89 acres of the land identified at Mudipu. Once the new prison is dedicated, Mangaluru will be the 10th city after Shivamogga to have a central prison. The new prison with 1,000 capacity is inevitable given the motley section of prisoners from habitual offenders to underworld elements lodged in the existing district prison. It is also overcrowded against the actual capacity of 210.”<br /><br />Sanctioned posts<br />On the other hand, measures are being initiated to augment manpower at jails in the state, with government recently sanctioning 1,811 posts irrespective of warder and other cadres. In the next five years, recruitment will be conducted in phases to match the ideal ratio of 1:5 or 1:6 (one warder for each five or six prisoners).<br /><br />Not to ignore the capacity-building exercise of existing personnel, they are being trained in this regard periodically, while commendation certificates have been issued to 86 personnel to boost their morale in the force. The highest of medals were also won by prisons staff recently, including 11 chief minister’s medals, one President’s Medal and also Sarvothama Award.<br /><br />Video conferencing<br />With the increasing burden on armed police on escort duty tasked with the job of producing the undertrials at courts, the state Prisons Department has adopted video conferencing in a big way. <br /><br />In the first phase, 32 units (22 courts in 10 jails) are functioning, while three units have been sanctioned for Mangaluru jail in the second phase, with an estimated amount of Rs 3.3 crore to be spent on the same.<br /><br />For visitors<br />Earlier, Rao inaugurated two visitors’ galleries at the district prison here. The two rooms with five boxes in each will enable inmates to interact with their kith and kin. To ensure security of the inmates, the window grills in each of the boxes has been covered with a mesh. A closed circuit TV camera has also been installed in each of the two rooms. <br /><br />Rao also laid foundation for the arch planned at the entrance of the jail.<br /><br />Next, security pole at jail<br />In an enhanced security measure, a security pole (F1 standard) has been sanctioned to the district prison in Mangaluru city. DGP (Prisons) H N Satyanarayan Rao told reporters, “The Department intends to purchase 10 poles this year in addition to the five purchased in the previous year. When compared to the fixed structures and frisking of jail inmates for safety purposes, the poles are mobile and easy to transport from one place to another within the precincts of the jail. In case of any security check, the pole can be kept at a designated place to check objectionable materials being carried inside the jail, if any.”<br /><br />Similar poles are being used in malls and other crowded places as part of a security measure, he added.<br /><br />DH News Service</p>
<p>The central prison planned at Mudipu on the outskirts of the city at an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore will be equipped with state-of-the art high security apparatus.<br /><br />Addressing media on Wednesday here, Director General of Police (Prisons) H N Satyanarayana Rao said, “A comprehensive proposal submitted to government in this regard includes modern and high security apparatuses like automatic doors and spikes (depending on the availability, as it has to be imported from other countries), bulletproof visitors’ galleries with intercom facility, followed by a helipad, a library, a hospital and 270 staff quarters among other facilities in compliance with the All India Prisons Manual. It is already implemented in Andhra Pradesh.”<br /><br />Rao said, “The project has got a push with the Public Works Department inviting tender for works and with Rs two crore already being sanctioned for the purpose. An additional Rs 7.5 crore has been announced in the recent budget, with works expected to kick-off soon.<br /><br />“The Department is already in possession of 67.89 acres of the land identified at Mudipu. Once the new prison is dedicated, Mangaluru will be the 10th city after Shivamogga to have a central prison. The new prison with 1,000 capacity is inevitable given the motley section of prisoners from habitual offenders to underworld elements lodged in the existing district prison. It is also overcrowded against the actual capacity of 210.”<br /><br />Sanctioned posts<br />On the other hand, measures are being initiated to augment manpower at jails in the state, with government recently sanctioning 1,811 posts irrespective of warder and other cadres. In the next five years, recruitment will be conducted in phases to match the ideal ratio of 1:5 or 1:6 (one warder for each five or six prisoners).<br /><br />Not to ignore the capacity-building exercise of existing personnel, they are being trained in this regard periodically, while commendation certificates have been issued to 86 personnel to boost their morale in the force. The highest of medals were also won by prisons staff recently, including 11 chief minister’s medals, one President’s Medal and also Sarvothama Award.<br /><br />Video conferencing<br />With the increasing burden on armed police on escort duty tasked with the job of producing the undertrials at courts, the state Prisons Department has adopted video conferencing in a big way. <br /><br />In the first phase, 32 units (22 courts in 10 jails) are functioning, while three units have been sanctioned for Mangaluru jail in the second phase, with an estimated amount of Rs 3.3 crore to be spent on the same.<br /><br />For visitors<br />Earlier, Rao inaugurated two visitors’ galleries at the district prison here. The two rooms with five boxes in each will enable inmates to interact with their kith and kin. To ensure security of the inmates, the window grills in each of the boxes has been covered with a mesh. A closed circuit TV camera has also been installed in each of the two rooms. <br /><br />Rao also laid foundation for the arch planned at the entrance of the jail.<br /><br />Next, security pole at jail<br />In an enhanced security measure, a security pole (F1 standard) has been sanctioned to the district prison in Mangaluru city. DGP (Prisons) H N Satyanarayan Rao told reporters, “The Department intends to purchase 10 poles this year in addition to the five purchased in the previous year. When compared to the fixed structures and frisking of jail inmates for safety purposes, the poles are mobile and easy to transport from one place to another within the precincts of the jail. In case of any security check, the pole can be kept at a designated place to check objectionable materials being carried inside the jail, if any.”<br /><br />Similar poles are being used in malls and other crowded places as part of a security measure, he added.<br /><br />DH News Service</p>
