The inmates of Machilipatnam Special Sub jail and sub jail of Nuzvid will be provided telephone facility from Monday to interact with their family members and lawyer twice in a week.
The prison authorities are setting up a special telephone booth inside these jails, where they arrange coin-box telephone device. “An Under Trial prisoner can contact his/her family members, friends and even lawyers to discuss bail matters. A call data of each individual will be maintained”, Machilipatnam Special Sub jail Superintendent V. Durga Rao told The Hindu.
Given the number of inmates at these jails, the AP Prisons authorities selected the two jails in Krishna district to provide the ‘out going call’ facility. One would likely be allowed to talk over the coin-box telephone for a maximum of ten minutes at a stretch. “The inmates will deposit cash with us towards spending it on outgoing phone call facility.
"One will be denied to enjoy the facility if he/she found discussing offensive matters”, said Mr. Durga Rao. Discussion over censored matters and prison administration matters would strictly be restricted. However, no incoming call for the inmates would be entertained. The telephone facility, which succeeded in central prisons such as Rajahmundry and Visakhapatnam and other prisons, was to allow the inmates to spend time with their family members.
There was no restriction for those accused and undertrial in the Nirbhaya Act cases to use the facility at the Machilipatnam special sub jail.
