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Inmate Management System in the works for Prisons Department in Brunei | |
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The evolution of today's criminal elements is of particular concern to the country's law enforcement agencies, especially with current non-traditional crimes that include human smuggling, complex drug rings, illegal immigrants and types of terrorism. In particular, this trend poses serious issues for the Prisons Department, where these new kinds of criminals will be incarcerated after being prosecuted. "The roles and functions of the Prisons Department are facing many challenges. Requirements and preparations therefore need to be readjusted," said Prisons Superintendent Hj Md 'Isamuddin Abdullah Juna, the Prisons Department's Head of Public Relations and IT. "We also believe that technology plays an important role in redefining the correctional administration and can be utilised to reform inmates more effectively." In line with the Brunei government's vision of establishing an e-Government, the Prisons Department recently took steps to implement IT as an important organisational tool. An Inmate Management System (IMS) is being developed for the department and will be built from the ground up by Alif Technologies Sdn Bhd, coupled with an Australian-based tracking technology. IMS is a new system for correctional institutions in Brunei, which will incorporate core correctional inmate management modules with the latest Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology in tracking inmates to achieve optimal security and effective penal administration. The Superintendent, who is also Chairperson of the Inmate Management System's Technical Committee, added, "The Inmate Management System will be a unique information system with comprehensive management capabilities. "It will also incorporate a live 24/7 tracking module for the inmates - a first in the Southeast Asian region. The system is designed to integrate all available data concerning inmates and their rehabilitation during imprisonment in the correctional facilities. "It provides smart management of information, including automating revised workflows that will increase the efficiency of procedures and staff productivity." The IMS will also have all information on the inmates ready on file at the click of a button, whereby officers could peruse the details of the inmates including all his or her personal details, educational details, occupation details and offences. It has three core modules - Records Management, Rehabilitation and Security. The Records Management module includes information pertaining to the inmates' admissions, accesses, musters, food rationings, requests and letters, as well as visitations and the Trends Analysis System (TAS). The Rehabilitation module includes the management of inmates' classification, rehabilitation management and inmates review. This module will help the rehabilitation programmes to be run more smoothly with the latest details and information on the inmates' developments, so that they will be able to be allocated to the proper rehabilitation, vocational and counselling programmes. Prisons Superintendent Hj Md 'Isamuddin said, "The advantage of having such a system is that we are able to utilise structured data to gauge and improve our rehabilitation approaches. This is an invaluable tool for the department, where the effectiveness of our inmate rehabilitation can be measured in terms of performance indicators monitored through the Rehabilitation module of the IMS." Meanwhile, the Security Module of the IMS includes information management on the inmates' disciplines, incident reporting, investigation papers, journals and an inmate-tracking system. "Besides, implementing the core modules of the IMS, we are also incorporating a live round-the clock security tracking system which employs RFID technology. "This is not a new technology to be used in correctional facilities but our system will be the first in the region to incorporate the technology as a main component instead of operating the tracking module as a standalone system," said Hj Md 'Isamuddin in reference to the Security Module. The Security Module will also include RFID tracking devices, which will be in the form of a wristband that can detect the inmates' movements within the correctional institutions in real-time. The RFID wristband, which will be worn by inmates, is a highly durable, tamper-proof mechanism that is lightweight, waterproof and hypoallergenic with an 18-month battery life. The IMS incorporates programmes that have been researched from other institutions around the world based on comparative studies and taking the best global practices that have been learnt. The system is also designed to interface at a later stage with other law enforcement agencies, such as the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Royal Brunei Police Force and the Narcotics Control Bureau, among others, which will improve interdepartmental communications and data-sharing in a virtual integrated justice system. Currently, IMS is in the System Development Stage and estimated to be completely operational sometime in July this year. "The implementation of the IMS project signifies a timely strategic boost for the Prisons Department in terms of technological advancements. "Of course, once operational, we will also continue to improve the system with additional enhancements, such as the Officer Security Tracking and Door Access System," he added. "Being the region's first correctional system to utilise live RFID tracking does not mean the department will be complacent in pursuing further technological improvements to our security and especially rehabilitation programmes. "We will strive to be a leading local institution in the global correctional industry by using innovative technologies to provide the best rehabilitation services." Borneo Bulletin, By Amie PDH and Azin Ghani, February 13, 2009 |
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Copyright
© 2009 Prison Department. Brunei Darussalam |
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