The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked the prison authorities in the States to maintain “appropriate oversight” on “literature available in prison libraries to ensure that inmates are not influenced negatively.”
In a letter sent to the Principal Secretary (Home) and the Director General of Prisons of all States on May 2, the MHA said that “background of NGOs involved with prison activities may be verified on periodic basis.”
“State Governments and prison authorities should take effective steps to prevent prisons from becoming breeding ground for anti-national activities, for which regular inspection of prisons may be conducted,” the letter stated. The inmates may also be motivated to leave the life of crime and become responsible citizens of the nation.
Use of mobile phones by inmates
The Ministry has called for deploying effective jamming solutions and advanced technology to restrict the illegal access/use of mobile phones by inmates.
In April, a court in Mumbai was informed that civil rights campaigner Gautam Navlakha, arrested by the National Investigation Agency for his alleged role in the Bhima Koregaon caste violence case and lodged in the Taloja central jail, was denied a book written by famous author and humorist P.G. Wodehouse, citing “security risk.”
In 2021, trade unionist and human rights campaigner Sudha Bhardwaj, another accused in the Bhima Koregaon case, had to move court after the prison authorities removed the book, The Empire of Cotton, by Sten Backert from a parcel sent by her lawyer.
The MHA said that “despite constant follow-ups,” many States were yet to confirm the status of the adoption of the Model Prison Manual, 2016, in their jurisdictions.
According to sources in the Tamil Nadu prison department, the MHA stated that the manual was devised on the basis of various guiding principles and directions of the Supreme Court and Parliamentary Standing Committees on efficient prison administration.
The MHA noted that “First-time offenders and repeat offenders may be segregated and should be housed in separate wards/prison complex with a view to ensuring that habitual offenders are not able to negatively influence the first-time offenders.”
‘Improve medical facilities’
The Ministry suggested that medical facilities in jail hospitals and dispensary may be strengthened and improved in such a manner that reduces the requirement of referral of inmates outside the prison complex.
“Psychological assessment of inmates by competent medical professionals may be encouraged to reduce depression in prison inmates and provide them with a positive outlook in life. Assessment of inmates by psychologists and correctional experts may be done wherever necessary for studying the stress and behavioural issues of inmates and appropriate programs may be prescribed for them,” it said.
Inter-jail transfer of prison staff
Calling for inter-jail transfer of prison staff every two years, the advisory stressed that such rotation on a regular basis would discourage complacency and corrupt practices in prisons. The distance between the outer periphery wall and that of the jail complex should be designed in such a manner that the possibility of throwing contraband items from outside was ruled out.
Among other suggestions, the Centre said prison staff may be encouraged to use innovative methods for better prison administration. Non-habitual criminals should be trained to impart skills to other prisoners.
