BuCor adopts biometrics to monitor prisoners’ records, movements

The government on Thursday launched the first-ever biometric-equipped electronic prison record system aimed to better manage and monitor inmates in the country's state penitentiaries.

The system aims, among others, to stop the overstaying of prisoners due to lost records or inaccurate computation of how long they've been behind bars.

The Inmate Management Information System, a project of the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Corrections, was designed to record prisoners' biometric information and automatically compute both their service of sentence and good conduct time allowance (GCTA).

As well, the system would allow prison officials to monitor the inmates' movements and activities.

The new system was launched during ceremonies at the New Bilibid Prison Reservation in Muntinlupa City led by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

The biometric feature of the system provides for the positive identification and detection of inmates despite a change in name or other false identity assumed.

It would also allow the flagging of the expiration dates of the inmate's sentence to avoid overstaying, provides for the calendar of hearings, records visitors of inmates for strict monitoring and security purposes and other criminal information.

"The IMIS will be a game changer in the DOJ's efforts to improve the custody, safekeeping and rehabilitation of prisoners," said De Lima.

"Accurate information readily available to custodians and corrections officers can very well help in applying the proper interventions for security and rehabilitation purposes," she added. -Mark Merueñas/NB, GMA News