Punjab jails introduce online booking for prisoner visits

App allows visitors to schedule meetings with prisoners without recommendations except for high-profile inmates

The Punjab Prisons Department has introduced a mobile application to facilitate advance booking to meet inmates across all jails in the province, including Central Jail Adiala, officials said on Friday.

According to prison authorities, the app allows family members and other visitors to schedule meetings with prisoners and under-trial inmates without requiring any recommendations or intermediaries. The system will also send notifications in case a scheduled meeting is cancelled due to security or administrative reasons.

The application, now available for download on the Google Play Store, aims to make the visitation process more transparent and efficient. A formal notification for its implementation has been circulated to all jail superintendents across Punjab.

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Officials said staff responsible for the Prisoners Management Information System (PMIS) at each facility have been given special training to operate the new platform. Operational guidance videos have also been supplied for internal use.

To assist visitors unfamiliar with the process, dedicated personnel will be deployed at waiting sheds of prisons to help them make online bookings. Separate facilitation counters will also be established for those who pre-book their meetings using the app.

However, officials clarified that traditional meeting protocols will continue to apply for high-profile inmates and hardened criminals due to security concerns.