CCTVs in UP jails equipped with AI system

Lucknow: CCTV cameras installed in Uttar Pradesh prisons have been equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) system.

This has been done with a view to maintaining vigil on mafias and criminals lodged in different jails of the state.

A state government spokesman said: "Along with dual view scanner baggage, full human body warn scanner, contactless glasses for meeting rooms and other devices equipped with the new technology have been installed in five high security jails of the state."

The proposal to install sophisticated gadgets in jails was sent to the state government after a high-level meeting under the Chief Minister in which he directed the officers to remove deficiencies in jails security, he added.

"The state government has allocated fund to the prison administration and reforms department in the annual budget 2023-24," he said.

Till now, 145 video conferencing halls have been set up, which include 72 prisons and 73 district courts, to conduct 100 per cent remand of undertrials detained in state prisons through video conferencing.

"Five dual view scanner baggage, five full human body worn scanner, 130 contactless glasses for meeting rooms, five panic alarms systems, 15 night vision binoculars and five light protection system ESE units have been set up in five high security jails, including district jails of Lucknow, Azamgarh, Chitrakoot, Gautam Buddha Nagar and central jail Bareilly," he said.

The CCTV surveillance units are being set up in a phased manner to enhance the security system of prisons.

Around 30 cameras have been installed in each prison.

"At present, more than 3,600 CCTV cameras have been installed in all the jails of the state. The work of increasing the number of cameras, their restoration and arrangement of servers, including storage in 30 prisons, has been completed," the spokesman said.

"A command centre has been set up for high-level monitoring at the headquarters in which the live feed of the cameras installed in the prisons is being received in the video wall."

A letter has been written to the state government seeking financial sanction for body-worn cameras in 10 jails and sanction for heavy duty washing machines in 10 prisons.