Central Jail introduces app to schedule meetings

Mobile app 'Ameelio Connect' is available for download on Google Play

KARACHI:

The authorities in the Central Jail Karachi have introduced a mobile application - Ameelio Connect -to facilitate the families of jail inmates to schedule their meetings online instead of travelling all the way from distant places and standing in the queue for the purpose.

With this app, waiting in line to see a prisoner at Central Jail is now a thing of the past. Families of inmates can now arrange their visits through an online appointment system. Ameelio Connect has been developed for this purpose, available for download from the Google Play.

This app allows families to schedule meetings with inmates from the convenience of their homes. Authorities in the Central Jail Karachi have introduced this mobile app to streamline the visitation process. To use the app, the appointee must register, upload a photo and both sides of their Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC).

The process is user-friendly, eliminating the need for physical waiting, and the application is submitted after the completion of the procedure. The initiative aims to address the challenges faced by families who travel long distances to visit inmates, only to find out that the prisoner had been moved to another jail or was taken to the court for a hearing, or hospitalized on medical grounds.

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The Central Jail receives more than 600 visitors on daily basis, and the number increases to over 1,000 on Mondays and Tuesdays. Managing both inmate meetings and security concerns has been a significant challenge for the administration. Under the new system, visitors can input their details through the mobile app beforehand, determining the timing of their appointment.

For those facing difficulties with the application, five booths with 10 operators are available near the Central Jail's main entrance to provide assistance, verify identities, and guide first-time users through the appointment setup process. Visitors will be allowed 20 minutes to see the prisoner, and if five people show up for an appointment, the information for one visitor is recorded, with the names of the other four visitors listed alongside the first visitor's details.

This approach enables efficient record-keeping for all visitors. The implementation of the new system will enable the jail administration to monitor visitors closely, maintaining records of their visits. Information such as the visitor's identity, their relationship with the inmate, and the frequency of visits can be tracked. In the second phase, inmates will have the option to conduct video calls with their families.

Officials emphasised that scheduling meetings in advance is a common practice in developed countries, and now families of inmates at the Central Jail Karachi can also plan their appointments.

The new system is set to commence on Saturday, with appointments becoming available. Officials revealed that the system was developed in collaboration with the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Agency of the United States.