Prisons in Karnataka are now correctional centres

  • | Friday | 16th August, 2019

Over the years the concept of imprisonment and how the prisons should be has changed, from prisons to correctional and reform centres. “The re-designation of prisons as centres of correctional services is a huge step forward towards affirmative action. He added that in prisons across Karnataka there are various vocational schemes in place for the jail inmates. The government last month not only re-christened the Department, they also re-designated the ADGP&IG, Prisons as the Director General, Prisons & Correctional Services, Karnataka State, without any change in the nature of his function or pay scale. To help humanise the prisons in Karnataka, the government has also created a new post of a Superintendent of Police (SP) from the IPS cadre for the Prisons Department for co-ordination between the department, government, various agencies and stakeholders including members of civil society and non-governmental organisations.

Bala Chauhan By Express News Service BENGALURU: Once a criminal need not always be a criminal. With an eye on reforming and rehabilitating the prisoners and making them become a productive member of society after their jail term, the state government has re-designated the existing name of the Department of Prison as ‘Department of Prisons and Correctional Services’ in the light of a Supreme Court order on prison reforms in an ongoing Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The apex court while issuing several directives to all the state governments on prison reforms had emphasised that while there could be restrictions as sanctioned by law on an incarcerated person, there should not be any infringement on his fundamental rights, which are guaranteed to him under Article 21. The court is also seized of the matter that majority of jail inmates are undertrial prisoners (UTPs), who end up spending three-fourths of their lives behind bars because of delay in trial in their cases. Imprisonment is considered as a deterrence for criminals and anti-social elements and prisons are known to be dungeons, where the inmates are treated with no regard for their human rights. Over the years the concept of imprisonment and how the prisons should be has changed, from prisons to correctional and reform centres. “The re-designation of prisons as centres of correctional services is a huge step forward towards affirmative action. It will prove to be a morale booster for the jail inmates and would go a long way in changing their mindset and de-radicalising them from crime and criminal activities to socially responsible behaviour. At the end of his jail term a convict should step out as a positively changed person with some amount of self esteem and self worth,” said the incumbent Additional Director General of Police & Inspector General of Prisons N S Megharikh. He added that in prisons across Karnataka there are various vocational schemes in place for the jail inmates. “Convicts are made to go through vocational training and are paid daily wages in accordance with the prison manual. A lot of efforts are made to educate the prisoners. There is a system of award for good work and conduct in the form of remission or review of sentences, wages for prison labour, parole, furlough and canteen facilities,” he added. The Government order dated July 29 is based on Megharikh’s letter in April this year in which he had requested the government to re-designate the name of the prison department. The government last month not only re-christened the Department, they also re-designated the ADGP&IG, Prisons as the Director General, Prisons & Correctional Services, Karnataka State, without any change in the nature of his function or pay scale. To help humanise the prisons in Karnataka, the government has also created a new post of a Superintendent of Police (SP) from the IPS cadre for the Prisons Department for co-ordination between the department, government, various agencies and stakeholders including members of civil society and non-governmental organisations.

If You Like This Story, Support NYOOOZ

NYOOOZ SUPPORTER

NYOOOZ FRIEND

Your support to NYOOOZ will help us to continue create and publish news for and from smaller cities, which also need equal voice as much as citizens living in bigger cities have through mainstream media organizations.


Stay updated with all the Bangalore Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.

Related Articles