The jail administration in the state faces an ongoing challenge in curbing the use of mobile phones by inmates, despite the deployment of hi-tech equipment. Despite the installation of 4G jammers eight years ago in nine jails, including Jaipur, the system has proven ineffective against evolving AI technology.
A recent incident involving a death threat call targeting the Chief Minister originating from within the jail has prompted the administration to take proactive measures. Acknowledging the limitations of the existing 4G jammers, the Director General of Jails has initiated steps to replace them with advanced AI technology towers in highly sensitive jails.
In 2015, 4G jammers were introduced to prevent prisoners from using mobile phones, but they posed frequency issues and disruptions, affecting local residents’ phones. Attempts to increase the jammer frequency led to more problems, forcing the administration to withdraw the decision.
The inadequacy of jammer technology was evident when three inmates managed to make a threatening call to the police control room, highlighting the urgent need for an upgrade. Notorious prisoners Mukesh, Chetan, and Rakesh are set to be shifted to the high-security jail in Ajmer. The administration is also identifying and segregating inmates who have misused intelligence to access mobile phones.
The concern over inmates associated with international crime networks running operations from within jail prompted discussions at the recent DGP-IGP conference. The consensus leaned towards embracing AI technology to effectively counter the use of mobile phones by prisoners. Delhi’s Central Jail has successfully implemented towers with state-of-the-art technology, inspiring efforts to replicate the same in the most sensitive jails of the state, as confirmed by Dr Bhupendra Dak, the Director General of the Jail.
