‘Phoenix’ takes prisoners to Limca Book of Records

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh March 21

A project aimed at digitising the records of jail inmates in 11 prisons across Haryana has earned four Bhondsi Jail (Gurgaon) inmates an entry into the prestigious Limca Book of Records.

Undertrial Amit Mishra and his team of four — prisoners Rohit Pagare, Anoop Singh, Balwant Singh and Ajit Singh, all computer illiterate — developed software “Phoenix” for information on prisoners at the click of the mouse. After Mishra’s release, his team members were given the responsibility of implementing the project and they were shifted to different jails.

“The task in each of the four jails was accomplished in a month. In the remaining eight jails, the project was implemented by Mishra himself,” said Harender Singh, Superintendent of Jails, Bhondsi.

A task that could have cost the department crores of rupees was done free of cost by Mishra and the four prisoners, he said. Until now, the prison records were being maintained manually. Now details of every inmate, including the crime, dates of parole/completion of sentence and medical history, can be accessed within minutes. Also, the software has enabled the jail canteens to go “cashless”.

Lauding the efforts of the inmates, Yashpal Singal, DGP (Prisons), said steps had been taken to improve the conditions in jails and for the rehabilitation of inmates.