LAHORE – The Punjab Prisons Department has taken a significant step toward modernizing its operations, making Punjab the leading province to introduce a dedicated mobile application – Mulakat App – for inmate visitation. The app aims to simplify and streamline the process for citizens seeking to visit inmates across all jails in the province, including Central Jail Adiala Rawalpindi.
This initiative aims to increase transparency and efficiency within the correctional system. The newly introduced application allows family members and other visitors to schedule appointments with both prisoners and under-trial inmates in advance, effectively eliminating the cumbersome requirement for personal recommendations or reliance on intermediaries, a major point of friction in the traditional system.
App Features and Implementation
The user-friendly platform, now readily available for download on the Google Play Store, will transform the visitation experience. Once a booking is confirmed, the system instantly generates a unique digital token number that serves as the visitor’s appointment confirmation. Visitors can then present this token at the jail’s front desk for a smooth and swift check-in process. Furthermore, for visitor convenience, the app includes the crucial feature of allowing multiple individuals in a single booking, enabling family members and close acquaintances to visit the inmate together. In a move to improve communication and manage visitor expectations, the application also sends automated notifications to users if a scheduled meeting is cancelled due to any security or administrative reason.
The department circulated a formal notification for the app’s implementation to all jail superintendents across Punjab, ensuring its staff is fully equipped to handle the digital transition. Personnel responsible for the Prisons Management Information System (PMIS) at each facility underwent specialised training to operate the new platform. The department also supplied operational guidance videos for internal use.
Visitor Facilitation and Security
Recognizing that some visitors might not know the digital process, the department is deploying dedicated staff at the waiting sheds of prisons to assist with online bookings. Additionally, they are establishing separate facilitation counters at the jails specifically for visitors who pre-book their meetings through the app. However, officials made clear that security concerns dictate they continue applying the traditional, stringent meeting protocols to high-profile inmates and hardened criminals. This measure ensures the department maintains strict security standards while enhancing public convenience.
