New Delhi: Delhi’s major prison complexes are set for a Rs 27.5-crore digital upgrade aimed at replacing their ageing computer network and strengthening video-conferencing facilities, a move expected to reduce the need to physically transport inmates, including high-risk prisoners, to courts for hearings.Delhi govt has approved a proposal to install a high-speed local area network (LAN) across the prison system to support 840 video-conferencing points for court hearings. The project is also intended to facilitate implementation of the new criminal laws and the expansion of e-courts services.Delhi has 16 prisons across three jail complexes—Tihar, Rohini and Mandoli—with a combined inmate population of around 19,500 against a sanctioned capacity of 10,026. Officials said the growing prison population has increased the need for a robust digital infrastructure to facilitate virtual production of prisoners before courts.“The existing network infrastructure was established in 2004-05 and has become obsolete, while network switches installed during 2010-11 have reached end-of-support status,” an official said.According to officials, several network cables have also deteriorated over time, prompting the prison department to opt for complete replacement rather than integrating new systems with the old infrastructure.The project will cover Tihar and Rohini prison campuses and associated administrative facilities. The upgraded network is expected to provide faster, more secure and reliable connectivity for video hearings and other digital services.At present, inmates often have to be taken to court in cases where video-conferencing facilities are unavailable or unreliable. Officials said the upgrade would make virtual hearings more dependable and reduce the logistical burden of prisoner movement.The project is expected to be completed within five months after the bidding process. A survey of the existing infrastructure has already been conducted and a detailed project report prepared.