The Commissioning Of The Computerised Prison Management System (PMS) Represents A Significant milestone in Prisons Department's Efforts To Achieving Its Vision.

Singapore Prisons Service and National Computer Systems (NCS) today announced the commissioning of the Prison Management System (PMS).

The new system is a quantum leap from the current batch processing LNE – Law Enforcement System. The new PMS will give Prison officers, in real time, vital information of the inmates under their care. Inmates will wear barcoded tags and their fingerprints and photographs will be kept in a sophisticated database.

With tagging, the system is able to monitor the whereabouts of inmates moving within the facilities - be it working in the workshops or attending counseling or family visits.

With the capture of electronic fingerprint of inmates, Prisons will be able to promptly verify the identity of the inmates to be released from the facilities in a process that once would have taken a few hours. The same digital technology not only captures the inmates' photographs, it also captures digital images of personal property and items carried on them. These digital images serve as visual records of the property collected from the inmates. This is the first such use of digital imaging technology in the prison and correctional services in the world today.

The Prison Management System will also complement Prisons' other key initiatives such as the new rehabilitation framework and the team-based Housing Unit Management System (HUMANS). By providing officers with crucial inmate information at their fingertips, Prisons significantly enhance their ability to classify inmates into different groups for rehabilitation purposes - such differentiation will provide the basis for designing the appropriate rehabilitation Programmes for the different classes of inmates. Director of Prisons, Mr Chua Chin Kiat had mentioned earlier, "We aim to make responsible citizens out of them (the inmates), so that when they leave, they'd be on the right track". Availability of up-to-date information will effectively give Prison officers the requisite knowledge on hand when they counsel and steer the inmates toward becoming responsible citizens upon their release.

The commissioning of the Prison Management System heralds a new era in the Prison Service, and is a significant start to the new millennium. It enables Prisons to be a knowledge-enabled organisation, where Prison officers are able to be captains of the lives of offenders in our custody. The Prison Management System will bring the Singapore Prison Service one step closer to its vision of being an exemplary prison system.

"We are pleased to contribute our technological expertise in enhancing operations that could well save time and increase the efficiency in prison management. Our commitment lies in continually seeking out new and innovative ways to providing comprehensive end-to-end solutions package for Prisons," said K C Lee, CEO, NCS.

Notes to Editor

ABOUT NATIONAL COMPUTER SYSTEMS (NCS)

National Computer Systems Pte Ltd (NCS), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Singapore Telecom Group, is a leading IT service provider in Singapore. NCS serves the needs of both the public and private sectors in Singapore, as well as the region. Its core competencies in information infrastructure development, systems integration, enterprise knowledge management, Internet commerce and IT outsourcing services are focused on these niche industries and business sectors : Government, Healthcare & Education; Construction, Transportation & Manufacturing; Defence; Telecommunications; Financial services. With more than 1900 trained and experienced IT professionals in the region, NCS is well positioned to deliver projects of any size and scale. For more information on NCS, please visit our Website at http://www.ncs.com.sg