An opportunity to feel closer to loved ones is opening up for those living behind prison walls. A video-calling facility is being introduced to give inmates a direct means of contact with their family members. The service has already begun as a pilot project at Munshiganj District Jail, and the Department of Prisons says it will be rolled out to all of the country’s prisons in phases soon.
Under the new system, convicts and detainees will be allowed to speak with family members by video call once a week, following set rules. Each call will be limited to a maximum of 10 minutes.
Md. Masud Hasan Jewel, jailer (logistics and media) at the Department of Prisons’ Dhaka office, said prisoners across the country will soon be able to speak with their families by video call. He said the calls will follow set rules to ensure both communication and privacy.
The government has also taken wide-ranging initiatives for the rehabilitation and reform of prisoners. As part of this, various prisons across the country now offer sports, cultural programs, religious education, counseling and other activities aimed at psychological wellbeing.
Masud Hasan Jewel said training programs have been introduced to prepare inmates for productive work and equip them with skills for their future lives. A soap-manufacturing operation is underway at Kashimpur Central Jail-2, with the soap produced supplied to inmates and staff. There are plans to further expand training and production activities for prisoners in the future.
He said that to ensure quality healthcare for inmates, an initiative has been taken to build a central prison hospital in Keraniganj. There are also plans to set up a pathology lab at prison headquarters for the medical examination of officers and staff. In addition, recommendations have been received for 55 diploma nurses, whose deployment will further strengthen healthcare capacity in the prisons.
The Department of Prisons said that to ensure safe drinking water for inmates and staff, installation of a mineral drinking water plant at Kashimpur Central Jail-2 has been completed and water supply is now underway.
Improving the quality of basic prison services will remain a priority going forward. The department also said that a technology-driven, well-trained workforce is essential to building a modern prison system.
The department further said prison officers and staff perform extremely high-risk and important duties. To that end, professional training is being provided at various levels to prison guards, chief guards, sergeant instructors, deputy jailers, jailers and prison superintendents.
On this, Farooq Ahmed, senior jail superintendent of Dhaka Central Jail, said a bread-making machine imported from China has been installed to modernize and streamline bread production at Dhaka jail. As a result, bread of consistent quality is now being prepared hygienically and efficiently for a large number of inmates in less time, reducing reliance on traditional methods.
He said special allocations are in place for meal arrangements on special occasions in prisons, and initiatives have been taken to modernize food preparation and serving systems across various jails to improve the quality of meals for inmates.
Inmates are also being trained in making various garments, footwear and bakery items. Alongside sports, they are given religious instruction, and cultural programs are organized in prisons to mark various occasions.
The Department of Prisons said prison officers and staff had long held a reasonable expectation of post-retirement welfare benefits. Taking this into consideration, the government has approved in principle a lifetime ration allowance for retired prison guards, and the process of implementing it is underway.
Steps have also been taken to properly recognize officers and staff who have made outstanding contributions to prison security, preventing escapes, curbing irregularities, disaster response and humanitarian service. Measures are being strengthened to award medals, certificates of appreciation and institutional recognition to deserving members.
Prison authorities said a “zero tolerance” policy has been adopted to prevent drugs from entering prisons and to curb drug-related activities. A drug-testing machine has been procured for prison headquarters, which will make anti-drug efforts more effective.
A large-scale greening program has been undertaken to make prisons healthier and more environmentally friendly. Around 18,000 trees have already been planted under this program at the new prisons in Sylhet-1, Kishoreganj-1 and Khulna.
Work is under way on merit-based promotions, modern training, technology-driven security, prisoner reform and rehabilitation, staff welfare, proper recognition of good work, environmentally friendly prison management, and building a modern, professional correctional service.
The Department of Prisons said this will bring a positive shift in the public’s conventional perception of prisons. Prisons will become safe and humane. Prison officers and staff will be skilled, honest and dignified. Inmates will have the opportunity for reform and rehabilitation. And the entire institution will become transparent, technology-driven and accountable.