New tech can help detect emotional distress during prison tele-visits

This would enable officers to step in and intervene; system to go on trial from Oct

- Samuel Devaraj

Sentiment analytics may soon be used to help prison officers detect emotional distress when loved ones interact with inmates during tele-visits.

This will enable the officers to step in and intervene, potentially defusing the situation in a timely manner.

The new technology will be used in the autonomous tele-visit system that will be on trial from October. It was showcased at the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) and Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG) Corporate Advance event held at the Singapore University of Technology and Design on April 15.

Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo attended the annual workplan seminar, along with about 800 SPS and YRSG staff and community partners.

SPS said in a statement that the autonomous tele-visit system, which was jointly developed with the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), has facial recognition technology and artificial intelligence.

For the trial, it will be deployed at the premises of community partner New Life Stories, and can be expanded to other locations, including family service centres or community centres.

Currently, visitors can visit their loved ones in prison face to face at the Changi Prison Complex for 20-minute sessions.