Punjab jails inmates get video call facilities

LAHORE: The Punjab Home Department has introduced audio and video call facilities for jail prisoners to connect with their relatives and legal counsel, according to the new rules issued for use of Public Call Offices (PCO)’s in prisons.

According to the new SOPs, the Jail superintendents will issue a weekly schedule for PCO access to the prisoners.

The prisoners can use the PCO facility from Monday to Saturday (8:00 am till 5:00 pm) on the five phone numbers registered in the system for contact purposes. Prisoners are permitted 60 to 80 minutes of PCO use per week to make audio and video calls.

Prisoners are allowed to contact close relatives, spouses, and their legal counsels. Each prisoner must present a verification slip from the barrack in charge to access the PCO, according to the new SOPs.

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Charges for PCO use will be deducted from the prisoner’s Prison Management Information System (PMIS) account.

Prisoners under 18 years of age or those who are indigent will be provided PCO facilities free of charge.

However, the PCO facility will not be available to those inmates who have been convicted of terrorism or anti-state activities, according to the SOPs.