Infrastructure backlog hits State prisons
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 05 2012: Apart from two square meals a day, with the obvious reason to prevent uprising by the inmates, both Imphal Central Jail and Sajiwa Central Jail are not able to implement other routine activities under relevant Jail Rules due to lack of basic infrastructure at these prisons.

As routine works prescribed by Jail Rules cannot be effectively enforced at the imprisonment centres anti-social elements furthering their nefarious activities beyond the prison walls cannot be ruled out, conceded some jail officials while talking to The Sangai Express on condition of anonymity.

In an alarming disclosure, the officials said that jail staff can no longer keep the inmates, particularly those from armed organisations, under their control consequently affecting routine chores inside the jails for the last few years.

It is said that Imphal Central Jail has a total of 50 female inmates whereas about 700 male inmates are housed at the Sajiwa facility.

Following an ugly clash between rival inmates over alleged immoral activities inside of the prisons, where both male and female inmates used to be kept, only female inmates are lodged at Imphal Central Jail now, explained the officials.

Pointing out that primary reason for setting up jails is not only for confining the law-breakers but also to rehabilitate and serve as correctional centres so that after end of imprisonment terms the inmates could be accepted or act as responsible citizens, the officials rued that such an objective is unlikely to materialise if basic infrastructure could not be ensured.

Jail Rules entail that inmates should be imparted vocational training courses such as carpentry, crafts and tailoring in order to imbibe work culture and enable the inmates sustain a livelihood as normal citizens after release, said the officials who also expressed that at the present juncture such a noble objective is merely an illusion.

Due to stress normally associated with prolonged confinement some inmates have the with prolong confinement some inmates have the tendency to suffer mental breakdown but there are no psychiatrist to redress such problems in both the jails, they informed adding that legal experts are also missing at these facilities.

with the exception of drug-abusers and petty criminals, other category of inmates do not comply to directives of jail staff for routine activities as prescribed under the Jail Rules compelling the jail officials to brand the latter class if inmates as highly indiscipline.

Conceding that jailed UG cadres have no respect for armed jail personnel, they informed that under such circumstances jail staff cannot enforce prescribed norms inside the prison centres.

Regarding steps to improve the situation, they suggested three-tier security arrangement in the jails and wished that jail administration be entrusted to the jail staff along with deployment of armed personnel inside and outside the prison.

Further confiding that about 300 jail personnel, including some police personnel, are being provided to look after nearly 750 inmates, they said due to jail staff inadequacy services of VDF and Home Guard personnel are being utilised with the same intensity in duty hours irrespective of huge disparity in the pay scale between the regular jail staff and VDF/Home Guard personnel.

Owing to pay anomaly amongst the security personnel manning these jails reports are galore that some jail staff oblige command of the inmates to provide them certain items such as consumable tobacco products, confessed the officials.

Not ruling out some of the under-paid jail staff of acting as a means of conveyance between the inmates and their cohorts outside, they cited frequent seizure of mobile phones from possession of the inmates to illustrate possible unholy alliance between the inmates and jail security personnel.

The officials also regretted alleged ignorance of the Government on the importance of jail institution.

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