LAHORE: The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) jointly handed over the formal control and implementation of the Prison Management Information System (PMIS) to the Punjab Prisons Department, Government of the Punjab through a special ceremony in Lahore.
Speaking on the occasion, Zawar Hussain Warraich, Minister for Prisons, Punjab hailed the automation of prison records as a breakthrough in prison administration across the entire chain of prisons in Punjab. He appreciated the support from UNODC and INL that went beyond the provision of funds and equipment to offering hands-on soft training to a cadre of more than 200 master trainers from a cross-section of prisons in Punjab. This would ensure adaptability to technological change for efficient implementation of the system.
The PMIS has been intuitively designed to replace the redundant manual file system with a Central Data Centre to drive functionality and interoperability across the prisons in Punjab. It envisages automation of the entire prison records through an information management system developed in collaboration with the Prisons Department in Punjab. The purpose is to deliver efficiency, transparency and accountability in the management of prison affairs.
The event was also attended by Ms Lauren A Meehling, the INL representative; Momin Ali Agha, Additional Chief Secretary Home Department, Punjab; Mirza Shahid Saleem Baig, Inspector General, Prisons Punjab, Nusrat Hussain Mangan, IG Prisons Sindh; Masood ur Rehman, IG Prisons KP; Malik Mohammad Yousaf, IG Prisons Balochistan and Masood ur Rehman, IG Prison/Additional Secretary Home, AJK along with other distinguished guests from the law enforcement and criminal justice system. The initiative was unanimously acclaimed as a groundbreaking innovation to leverage technology and enhance productivity in prison management.
Ms Jouhaida Hanano, Criminal Justice Advisor, UNODC appreciated the functionality of PMIS and its linkages to the broader reform agenda in the criminal justice system. She stressed on the availability of objective and transparent data that can help in reforming the prison system through effective decision-making. Ms. Hanano thanked the Chief Minister, Punjab and all stakeholders for their support in making the event a success and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) for their generous support.
The Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) will replicate the Prison Management Information System (PMIS) across the prisons in Punjab, proactively engaging as a technology partner to support implementation and sustainability of the PMIS. UNODC has also supplemented the PMIS with the necessary equipment, including more than 200 computers and UPS, biometric systems, networking and fingerprint devices for the automation of prisons, Inspectorate General Prisons and Prisons Training Academy in Sahiwal.
This project is supported by Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, Govt of United States of America.