TRINATH MOHANTY, OP
Bhubaneswar: Despite the installation of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) cameras, authorities are struggling to maintain order in jails, as a series of security breaches, prisoner escapes, and viral videos of lapses at correctional facilities have come to the fore recently.
The latest breach occurred Thursday at Athagada Khuntuni Model Jail, where an undertrial prisoner facing double murder charges, Sunil Jena, scaled the prison boundary wall and fled into the nearby jungle. Prison department data reveals that more than two dozen inmates have escaped from various jails in the last three years. The incidents have laid bare multiple systemic shortcomings within the state’s prison network. Although older CCTV units were recently replaced with AI-enabled cameras designed to flag illegal activities automatically, critics allege that these systems are rarely monitored in real time by officials.
Furthermore, following previous escapes—including an incident involving two Bihar natives fleeing from Choudwar Jail—authorities recommended increasing boundary wall heights. However, no such safety measure was undertaken, making it easy for inmates to escape.
Prisons also continue to face issues with entry of unauthorised items and novel smuggling methods. On August 29, a video went viral from Sora Sub-Jail in Baleshwar district showing an inmate in possession of cannabis, cigarettes, tobacco, cash, and a mobile phone.
Investigators note that accomplices outside the prisons routinely toss narcotics and contraband over boundary walls by concealing them inside balls at pre-arranged times for inmates to collect. Experts and security advocates are urging the state government to immediately address infrastructure gaps, enforce strict real-time monitoring of AI surveillance systems, and heighten perimeter security to prevent further breaches.
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