AI high tech smart prison to be built in Hungary

Hungary is constructing a new prison in Csenger and it will have some unexpected new features.

The current plans for the prison were foreshadowed in a recent press conference by Bence Rétvári, Hungary’s current Secretary of State. The confrence was held at the National Command of the Prison Service (BVOP) on Friday and revealed some surprising technological upgrades.

Investing in a safer future

According to Economx, Central Europe’s most advanced prison is being built in Csenger. This aligns well with the fact that Hungary is one of the top twenty safest countries, as stated by Bence Rétvári. He underlined that since 2010, there was a growth of five thousand inmates and a drastic decrease in the number of crimes, with an annual 280 thousand crimes less. He added that this is most likely because the new penal law code is one of the strictest in Europe.

This means more criminals sentenced to longer prison terms, hence the need for greater capacity. Several other prisons have already gone through an expansion, but the Csenger prison puts Hungary to another level of penalty enforcement.

The prison is said to have a capacity of 1500 and will have a fully operational video analysis and location determining system. The Secretary of State added that such prisons are not a new invention, since this level of technology has been implemented for prison use since 2018 worldwide. In Hungary too, they have been experimenting for the last few years with digital elements inside the prison. So far they have mostly used it for communication with relatives, the easier handling of interrogations and paperwork.

Real life science fiction

In the Csenger prison, however, there will be technology allowing for complete control of the inmates’ movements, and artificial intelligence will analyse their behavior and facial expressions. If their behaviour shifts from their usual routine, the system will send a signal to the supervisors. This way, they can prepare for an unusual event in case something out of the ordinary happens. The prison doors will operate without keys, using only a facial recognition system. To ensure the maximal employment of inmates, there will be a 2000-squaremeter workshop.

Additionally, each cell will have a “computer technology device,” allowing the convicted to manage their affairs through a closed online channel. This way they can access up-to-date information about their data, finances, the processing of their requests, or their work schedule. “The goal is paperless operation, and there will be digital administration as much as possible,” added the professional project manager.

The State Secretary also outlined the future of digital penal execution, adding that this will make detention even safer, minimising the possibility of escapes.

On the other side of the bars

Bence Rétvári also emphasised that the choice of location is deliberate. The Csenger prison is placed in the Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county region, where it will create approximately seven hundred jobs. He said the recruitment of prison guards has already begun.

To this information, the professional project manager provided additional details. He reported that more than 1500 resumes have been received by the recruiters so far, out of which 196 applicants were already accepted. There is a 14-week training interval, where they welcome and train the newcomers for their job.

Currently, there are 172 applicants undergoing training, getting ready for their new job. In addition to the salary, future members of the professional staff may receive cafeteria benefits, clothing allowance, performance bonuses, rental contributions, and other allowances. Those participating in the training will be entitled to full pay from the first day of education.

The scheduled date for the opening of the Csenger prison is 30 September.

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