Belize, October 25, 2023 – Today, a ceremony to mark the launch of the Prison Information Management System (PIMS) was held at the Belize Central Prison, Kolbe Foundation in Belize.
This initiative is a part of the Evidence-based Information Management for Citizen Security in Central America and the Dominican Republic Project” (also known as the InfoSegura Project), the first regional strategic partnership of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which has been central to enhancing the capacities at key institutions ensuring the security of Belize’s citizens over the past decade.
In his remarks, Hon. Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries, added that “this modern information management system will go beyond software and computers for data and records management, to integrating modern biometric technology to set up a more secure and reliable prison identification and monitoring mechanism. The PIMS will not just revolutionize the management of the Belize Central Prison; it will also pave the way for pioneering steps in inter-agency sharing of crime and justice sector data in Belize, for multiple agencies across Belize’s continuum of justice”.
Mr. Ian King, UNDP’s Deputy Resident Representative, shared that “the completion of the Prison Information Management System (PIMS) will assist the prison to effectively manage the prison population through improved real-time operational and situational awareness. This will prevent prisoners from being lost in the system by replacing a cumbersome paper-based system. The PIMS will also allow automatic data sharing with sister agencies such as Belize Police Department, the Judiciary of Belize, and the Belize Crime Observatory.”
UNDP, through the InfoSegura Project and in partnership with USAID, has been supporting the Belize Crime Observatory (BCO) and its key partner agencies including the National Forensic Science Service (NFSS) from May 2014, with the goal of enhancing the access to justice through a comprehensive Information and Communication Technology (ICT) framework and the realization of Belize’s multi-agency Crime Intelligence Architecture by May 2024. The PIMS, which is valued at BZ$300,000.00, will support interagency partners, particularly the Belize Central Prison, to acquire and develop a proper information management system and to strengthen the interagency sharing mechanism for more comprehensive capture of multi-dimensional data. It will also provide critical evidence for decision-makers and policymakers to improve the delivery of justice in Belize by providing modern information management solutions for prisoners that guarantee access to justice for all. The PIMS will also facilitate the implementation of the Data Policy of the Belize Crime Observatory and provide recommendations for enhancement during the implementation and annual review cycle of the policy around December each year.
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