Provincial jail now records biometric data of inmates, visitors

The smuggling of contraband inside the Cebu provincial jail can be prevented when the computerized jail management system becomes operational next year. (CDN FILE PHOTO).

The Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) is now equipped with a new computerized jail management system to get inmates’ profile as well as biometrics data and database of jail visitors.

The system aims to curtail the smuggling of contraband inside the facility.

Acting CPDRC jail warden Dr. Gil Macato said the new computerized jail management system will easily keep track of the prisoners’ records and monitor the visits of the inmates’ relatives.

Macato said they hoped the system will be fully operational by the first quarter of next year. By then, only visitors registered in their database would be allowed to enter the provincial jail.

“All the registered visitors lang jud ang makasulod kay maglikay ta sa contraband (Only registered visitors can enter to prevent contraband from being smuggled into the jail),” he said.

Macato said they are still collecting the inmates’ information as well as registering visitors’ information.

“Actually, we are still gathering (information),” he said.

“The machine is there, the computer is there, only nga (that) we are still encoding all the necessary information and out of the almost 3,000 inmates, mga 500 pa siguro ang na-profile. Wa pay labot ang visitors, so it will take time,” Macato added.

Macato said that once implemented, the system will require the registered visitors to have their biometrics scanned at the gate after inspection.

Once verified, the visitor will then go through the similar process for the second time at the entrance in the reception area.

Only after going through double verification to ensure that they are indeed registered in the database will they be allowed to visit an inmate inside the CPDRC.