Mumbai: Maharashtra government is exploring the possibility of co-operation from Israel to beef up the state's prison surveillance and security as well as welfare measures of inmates.
Principal Secretary (Home) Vijay Satbir Singh said that he will be meeting Israeli Consul General David Akov next week to discuss the proposal.
"Various issues regarding uplift of jails in the state like surveillance, security and welfare of prison inmates will be discussed during the meeting.
"This is a follow up visit of the high level delegation visit led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to Israel in April this year," he said.
Singh said Fadnavis has accorded priority to prison related issues and is keen to upgrade the jails in the state. He further said Israel's security system has caught the CM's attention during his visit.
There are 33 prisons in Israel with about 25,000 inmates. "Half of them are convicts and 40 per cent are security related crimes," Singh said. The official had also visited the Hadarim Jail in Israel in June this year.
"There are three layers of security in the prison -- patrolling, barbed wires and dog squad. There are specialised units of the Israel police and prison service to deal with drugs, escorting of prisoners, negotiations in case of problem in jails, non-lethal weapons and sexual violence," Singh said.
"They have advanced night vision cameras and thermal cameras which record variations in the temperatures. Regular mock drills are conducted to handle different situations of riot," he said.
Singh noted that the government is looking at "installing mobile jammers in prisons. Use of cell phones in Jails can be selectively blocked in some areas. Barracks can be jammed whereas administration offices can be kept free of that intervention."
There are 50 jails in the state with more than 25,000 inmates.
