Daily Times

LAHORE: In order to improve security situation, control crime rate and monitor the prisoners after their release, the data of more than 30,000 prisoners have been computerised under the Prison Management Information System (PMIS), a project launched by Punjab Prison Department and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Punjab Prisons Additional Secretary Abdullah Waris said on Sunday that the government intended to maintain a database of all 200,000 prisoners lodged and released from prisons annually in order to track vital information and their track record with an aim to improve law and order situation.

Initially, he said that a pilot project was introduced at Camp Jail, where data entry had almost been completed while the project had been extended to other 19 jails of the province. Abdullah said that training sessions for lower, mid and upper-rank jail officials were being arranged for making the system efficient. He said that a steering committee had also been formed which would supervise the progress of the project and give guidance wherever needed during the project.

“Maintaining comprehensive database of inmates and staff, improving the management and planning of jail through automation and strengthening security architecture by ensuring foolproof business processes are the core reasons behind PMIS,” he added.

The additional secretary said with this project, keeping track of inmates would become easier while previously, inmates had to be checked and re-checked each time they were admitted, discharged or transferred.

“Information retrieval at single click and prisons officers will be able to access information of all the inmates and obtain statistical data accurately and efficiently,” he added.

He said previously, additional information was kept in paper files at a centralized location and as a result, the officers spent many frustrating hours trying to track and retrieve information from these paper files.