Workshop on `National Policy on Prisons'
Talks on improving conditions in prisons
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060924/cth1.htm#12

Dear FORUM,

Please find enclosed report on Proceedings of the Workshop
on `National Policy on Prisons' conducted at the Institute of
Correctional Administration,Chandigarh on 23rd September, 2006.

Different AIDS related issues were discussed during the workshop.This
report is useful for Community Members to understand the issue. No
one supported the availability of Condoms in the Prison during this
workshop.

Kindly discus this issue in the AIDS INDIA mailing list among
community members. For more detailed information kindly contact Dr.
Upneet Lalli, Deputy Director, Institute of Correctional
administration, Chandigarh. e-mail:<ulalli@...>

The workshop on `National Policy on Prisons' was conducted by Dr.
Upneet Lalli,Deputy Director on behalf of the Institute of
Correctional Administration,Chandigarh on 23rd September, 2006.

Invitations for participation were sent to the Prison Departments of
Punjab,Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Chandigarh.
This workshop was well received by the print and electronic media.

All the participants appreciated the arrangements made for the
conduct of this Workshop and participated in various sessions of
Workshop and deliberated on the National Policy on Prisons. The key
issues, suggestions and commendations on different issues are
attached.

Senior Administrators, lawyers, social activists, NGOs, prison
officers,academicians, police officers and released prisoners with
their family took part in this Workshop. All the major stakeholders
of the prison system, thus were part of this workshop. The Workshop
was open to all, by way of information through print media, notices
in University Departments, and On-line network invitation. As a
result of the same, there was high participation with as many as 50
participants taking part in this Workshop.

KEY ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT EMERGED IN THE WORKSHOP ON
NATIONAL POLICY ON PRISONS.

SESSION – I; ISSUES, SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Speaker : Justice J.S. Narang

Prisoners Rights
Prisoners should not be deprived of their rights.
Medical Facilities Better medical facilities should be provided to
every prison inmate. Well equipped Lab with testing facilities in
every Central Prison.
* Certification of Water and Food CMO should visit the prison
premises every month and get the samples of water and food collected
for certification.
* Expectant Women / Women with Infants
There should be system of parole for them to deliver a baby outside
the prison and thereafter to bring up their infant in normal society.

Speaker : Mr. A.P. Bhatnagar, IPS (Retd.)

Physical conditions of Prisons The process of overcrowding should be
taken care of by shifting the prisons from towns / centre of city to
the outskirts through the process of private public participation in
constructing and management of prisons.

Administrative block
A modern administrative block with all modern technological devices
should bethere in each prison to qualitatively improve day to day
jail administration, including its security

Architecture design
Architecture design should be qualitatively improved keeping in mind
the prison security and service.

Prison Campus
Prison campus should also cater to the housing needs of the staff as
well as community centre to cater to the needs of staff and their
children.

Prison Administration
Prison Administration should be run on economic criterion of making
it self sustainable, efficient, cost-effective and dynamic.

Speaker : Dr. S.L. Sharma

Scientific classification of prisoners
Staff should be trained in order to classify inmates scientifically.

Speaker : Prof. P.S. Jaswal,

* Separate Prison for Undertrials
As far as possible, attempt should be made to segregate undertrials
from the convicts. And also ensure better training programmes for
each of them.

Work Programmes for Undertrials Undertrials should be asked to work
so as to maintain their upkeep expenses.

To ensure presence of undertrials in Court
An attempt should be made to introduce the video conferencing for
undertrials to get their cases processed expeditiously. Delay in
production can be avoided through separate prison escort force for
taking undertrials to courts .

Criminal Courts
Either double shift in criminal courts should be introduced or more
judges should be appointed for expeditious disposal of cases.

* Legal Aid Facility
The timing and places should be properly displayed where legal aid is
made available to public at large and families of undertrials in
general so that the maximum benefit could be extracted in each
prison. For this NGOs and Law students should be encouraged to
contact the prisoners and their families on a regular basis to
fulfill the requirements of approaching the court. Legal Aid Cell in
each prison should be there to help in processing the legal aid
applications and full case record of undertrials be kept.

Wages for Work
The wages paid for work should be reviewed every five years and the
Supreme Court judgment regarding wages should be followed, where a
part of the wages is paid to the victim's family.


Speaker : Kr. Vijay Pratap Singh, IPS

Physical Conditions of Prisons
A norm should be adopted to construct flush latrines and bathrooms
for the prison inmates. Accordingly, the same number of bathrooms and
toilets should be constructed. There should be Model and Modern
kitchen with proper ventilation in each prison along with a dining
facility.

Diet Menu
Diet menu should be drawn by Dietician keeping in view the
demographic composition of prison population.

* Health and medical facilities - Supply of adequate medicines Supply
of adequate medicines should be ensured either through local purchase
or through a central system and in case of non availability, then
Superintendent should be empowered to purchase up to a limit at a
time with no embargo on an annual basis. The physical infrastructure
of hospital / laboratory in each prison should depend on prison
population and for prison population below 50 a dispensary is a must.
Proper medical examination record of each prisoner should be
maintained. System of telemedicine should also be encouraged.

* Biometric Identification of visitors to Prison
Biometric Identification of both prisoners and visitors to the prison.

* Grant of Parole
Grant of parole should not be denied, by quoting the often repeated
argument that there is a threat to law and order. SSP should given
specific reasons for not granting parole and there should be proper
representation to convict in case of rejection of his parole. There
should not be pre-mature release to habitual criminals.

SESSION – II ISSUES

Speaker : Justice Iqbal Singh (Retd.)

Lok Adalats
Lok Adalats should be held in each prison.

Better Coordination
There should be better coordination of the prison Department with
other Departments and also the Criminal Justice Functionaries.
District and Session Judge should ensure smooth coordination between
prison departments and all others including police and prosecution.

Speaker : Dr. Upneet Lalli

Women Prisoners / Outside crθches
There is a need to have outside crθches for those children whose
mothers are inside the prison.

Mulaquat Area
There should be better visiting area for women inmates to meet their
children. No meeting behind bars for women and their Children.

* Communication facility
There should be PCO Room and each prison must be provided with
telephone facility, E-mail, etc. in order to facilitate better
communication and contact of the women inmates with their children
and family.

* Women Staff
The ratio of women staff in prisons should at least be equal to
prison population ratio of women and slowly increased to 50%.
Periodic training of women staff.

Education and work programmes
To ensure that education and work programmes remain more useful to
both inmates and society, these should be outsourced as far as
possible and outmoded and outdated programmes should not be run on
account of scarcity of funds. Gardening and landscaping activities
for women inmates.

* Medical facilities
There should be a lady doctor and nurse in each women prison. There
should be a proper medical examination and then a subsequent yearly
medically examination of the women inmates.

Encouraging Alternatives to Imprisonment
a) More liberal use of bail by judiciary
b) Review of compoundable offences
c) More effective use of probation
d) Public awareness about community service schemes
e) Community Service Scheme as an alternative for offences under
Excise Act and minor theft cases and other minor offences where
maximum imprisonment is upto three years.
f) Sensitizing judiciary about alternatives to imprisonment
g) Identity Cards to those offenders who go to the workplace as an
alternative to imprisonment.
h) More open prisons and their use to encourage reformation and
rehabilitation of convicts. Open prisons for women convicts as well.


Speaker : Justice P.S. Patwalia
• Public awareness about community service schemes
• Change in the Law i.e. I.P.C. and Cr.P.C. and Special Laws
• Awareness programmes for judiciary on `Alternatives to
Imprisonment'.

Speaker : Mr. B.S. Sandhu

All India Prison Service
All India Prison and Correctional service for higher level prison
staff.

Pay Scales
Pay scales of prison staff should be at par with police officers.
Promotional opportunities should be there for each level of prison
staff with a minimum of three promotions in 25 years of service.

Head of the Prison Department
The Head of the Prison Department should be from within the prison
cadre. In case of deputation, then a minimum tenure of three years
should be given to enable the HOD to make an impact.

OTHER SUGGESTIONS

Motivating Prison Staff

Dr. Jyoti Seth + NCW Report on Conditions of Women in Detention Dr.
A. Jolly, Counsellor, Chd. * (HIV Issues) and Criminal Justice
Initiative (NGO, Mumbai)
Ms. Suman Gupta, Counsellor Alcoholic Anonymous Creating Awareness
about alcoholism, drugs, etc.
Deepika, Research Investigator
Prisoners (Miscellaneous Suggestions)

• Commendation certificates, citations should be given to efficient
staff by the Superintendent / Inspector General of Prison.
• Welfare officers to look into welfare issues of staff.
• Recreational facilities to staff be provided within prison campus


• Newspapers and magazines supply to women inmates
• Separate bank account for women who work inside the prison
• Counseling programmes to prepare women for separation from their
children
• Work programmes for women inmates like handmade paper, hair
cutting, beautician, etc.

• Variety in Food for children and also for prisoners
• Gender Sensitization training programmes for Prison Staff.

• Facility for voluntary testing and confidentiality for HIV positive
prisoners.
• Training of Prison Doctors on `HIV Issues'.
• ARV Treatment for prisoners who are affected by AIDS.

• Indoor Display Boards for Self-Help Groups like Alcoholic
Anonymous, HIV positive Helpline, Women Helpline, Suicide Helpline,
etc. with telephone numbers at prison reception area and in mulaquat
area.
• Telephone facility to avail of tele-counselling.
• Psychiatric treatment and facilities for managing drug-addicts.
• Undertrials data-base and its proper management
• Non official women members to look into issues of women inmates.

• Regular review of Diet Scale
• Pamphlet of rights and duties of prison inmates should be given to
every inmate upon entry.
• Superintendents must have power to allow prison inmates to attend
cremation ceremony.
• Religious and meditational programme should be organized in each
prison.
• IGNOU Centres should be set-up in each prison.
• To ensure physical, mental and spiritual well-being of inmates,
outside community must be encouraged to participate in prison
programmes.
• Review of prison offences and punishment powers of Superintendent.
• Short stay homes for women inmates who are released from Prison.
• Employment Certificates to inmates who have obtained training
during their stay in prison.

With Personal Regards,
Avnish

Dr. Avnish Jolly,
#3008,Sector-20D,
Chandigarh 160020,
India.
Cell: +91-9814213809
e-mail: <avnishjolly@...>