Sometimes, the visiting process and arrangement make me seriously doubt if I’m living in the 21st century, and if I’m missing the trace of the so-called “Smart Prison”…
Before my first visit, I’ve briefly read about the CSD’s plan to develop “Smart Prison System”, but didn’t pay too much attention to it. As far as it concerns me (as a visitor), many of the pre-approved supplies are still the ones from my dad’s generation (or even older?) There’s ALWAYS at least one air conditioner (usually more) dripping in the waiting room. PAPER is still being used for visitor check-in. Can we maybe update the basics first before talking about technology?
Couple of things really caught my mind though:
Video conferencing is allowed under very rare circumstances and must be pre-approved. Family/ friends also need to travel to a designated location (more easily accessible compared to most prison location) to join the conference call from there. Given the facility is available, why can’t it be used by everyone and at a higher frequency? Just as how technology has been enabling more convenient and instant communications for people who are not in the same location physically (i.e. overseas)
The CSD app: I was actually quite surprised (and a bit too hopeful) when I learned that CSD has an app for family / friends/ visitors to use, to get informed on number of visiting quota left, and the quota of supplies that we can send it. I immediately learned that I was so wrong 🙂 Indeed my excel sheet does a slightly better job than the app. There was one time, when I only found out, from logging into the app, that the visit quota for the day has been used up, after being informed by the officer on the spot (at least there could have been an alert / notification?)
Every single time when I sit in the waiting room, I always visualize a screen, instead of playing TVB, there will be numbers showing whose turn is it to visit. Very straight forward, so that the officer wouldn’t have to yell at the entire room and repeat themselves with an impatient tone, and family / friends can just cross check with the numbers shown on screen. Besides, it just gives everybody a little bit more peace without the on-going yelling from the PA system
More about the app – perhaps integrating the registration into the app would also make everybody’s life a bit easier? Instead of needing to have paper record of every person’s daily visits
OR integrating pre-approved supply application, payment record, collection status, can also save some time? I was literally quite shocked, when the officer took out a NOTEBOOK, to record receipt of payment, or collection of certain supplies. Also, I felt very annoyed (like thinking I am being very annoying) to ask the same question “is this approved yet” for a dozen times.
So I’ve also wondered – what exactly does it mean by smart prison then? Or where is the technology?
I did notice there are some advance looking machines next to some broken vending machine and buckets to hold the water dripped from the air conditioner. It is advertised that there are some newly bought air freshener, some high tech vacuum, UV sanitizing machines etc to keep the indoor environment safe.
And about smart prison, it’s really all about advancing surveillance – closer patrolling, monitoring of behaviour (or misbehaviour), activities and location, further removing the tiny bits of remaining “freedom” (or flexibility” that inmates have. And is this really for the better or for the worse, when it comes to creating rehabilitation opportunities and behaviour correction (which should be one of CSD’s goals)?
Comentarios