Rio, March 7, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The government of Rio de Janeiro has already begun the bidding process for the installation of cell phone blocking mechanisms in three more units of the Bangu prison complex. Public notice of the bidding process to choose the company that will provide the service has already been published. The blocking mechanisms should be installed by the end of May.

An agreement with the Ministry of Justice provided R$ 645 thousand for this project. These funds will make it possible to install and operate equipment that will block radio, mobile phone, and cordless phone signals. Prior to this, the federal government allocated R$ 138 thousand for the placement of blockers in the Bangu I Maximum Security Prison, the first to receive a blocking mechanism. (DAS)