Chennai: In order to follow social distancing and adhere with lockdown due to coronavirus outbreak, Puzhal prison administration has restricted visitors to the jail premises.
At least 2,000 prisoners are currently lodged here and video call facility is being arranged for the inmates to interact with their families. For the entire State, the Prison department has procured 58 Android mobile phone sets.
According to the police, in Puzhal, there 1500 inmates in Prison 1 and 500 convicts in Prison 2. From 22 March, visitors were not being allowed here and prisoners are not being taken out for court appearances.
For Prison 1, eight phones are given, Prison 2 has five phones and the women prison with 100-odd inmates has one phone.
Each inmate can speak for ten minutes. The phones are circulated daily from morning till 5 pm.Recently, 400 remand prisoners were given interim bail. They have to appear before court on 30 April.