Technical progress and plans
Bo Bassin Central Prison and Melrose East High Security Prison are actively studying the possibility of reintroducing telephone network jammer devices in their facilities. To this end, the relevant committee has been established for nearly a year and has sought the help of Israeli technicians. It is planned to submit a preliminary report in mid-August.
Sources revealed that the committee's investigation report mentioned that the review chaired by former judge Lin Shanglin found problems with cell phone use in prisons. These findings prompted the prison administration to take measures to accelerate the reintroduction of telephone jammers. The prison commissioner has confirmed the plan and said it will be implemented as soon as possible.
Current situation and future steps
Previously, Bo Bassin Central Prison and Melrose East High Security Prison had tried to install telephone signal jammers. However, due to complaints from neighboring residents, the existing system caused congestion in the telephone network due to the lack of buffer. This problem forced the prison administration to suspend the project, leaving room for prisoners to illegally use mobile phones in prisons.
According to the report of the Narcotics Investigation Committee, there are currently 40 drug dealers operating in the prisons, who are suspected of funding the operations of their criminal organizations through mobile phones. To deal with this problem, a committee composed of senior officials and technical experts is studying the option of procuring new mobile network signal jammers. The committee plans to submit a preliminary report to the office of Prison Commissioner Vinod Appadu within two weeks to provide recommendations on the new system.
Currently, the plan to reintroduce telephone network jammers is facing public attention and protests. The committee is negotiating with Israeli experts to resolve the problems in the previous project and ensure smooth progress in the coming months. The Prison Commissioner said that the new network jammer system will be implemented nationwide, but Richelieu Open Prison will not be included in the implementation.
Vinod Appadu further added that based on the recommendations made by the committee, relevant proposals will be formulated and the budget for the purchase of new equipment will be voted on. The new jammers are expected to be installed by the end of this year. This move is not only aimed at improving the security environment in prisons, but also hopes to effectively curb the use of illegal mobile phones and reduce criminal activities in prisons through advanced technical means.