Jail security audit: Mobile jammers costly, less effective

BATHINDA: As on an average three mobile phones are recovered every day from various jails of the state, an internal jail security audit by state prisons department says installing 4-G mobile phone jammers and full-body scanners may be of little use to curb the nuisance.

Besides high-cost estimation that stands at about ₹28 crore for each jail compound and frequent upgradation of jammers, the authorities have also expressed health concern of inmates and staff due to jammers.

Additional director general of police (jails) PK Sinha said even after spending exorbitantly on the sophisticated technology, it will not be a permanent solution. It costs about ₹1.25 crore to disrupt mobile phone signal in a 30-meter radius, he said.

He said the assessment process was undertaken after the Punjab and Haryana high court last year had ordered to install jammers in all jails. ADGP said a detailed report will be submitted later this month to the government for a final decision.

“As a pilot proposal to curtail cost on jammers, we identified 24 high priority zones in 14 jails where hardened criminals are kept. It is estimated that after spending ₹22 crore, we will be able to cover only 10% area of these jails while leaving wide grey areas,” said Sinha.

Once approved by the secretary (security) of the central cabinet secretariat, it takes about nine months to procure and install jammers.

“As we are exploring jammers for 4-G, technological upgradation is gearing up for 5-G and in such case, it will make these jammers irrelevant. Our assessment says jammers would impact signals in the radius of up to 3-km of jail premises, however, mobile phone service providers are mulling to boost signals for their subscribers living in the vicinity of jails. In such a scenario, we may have to spend more on upgradation for an unlimited period and it is a never-ending process,” said Sinha.

“Full-body x-ray scanners are rather effective in detecting phone or anything else hidden in rectum or other body cavities. But the use of such scanners in jails has no legal sanctity in the country,” he added