Major Prison reforms initiated in AP
Hyderabad|India|June'2010: The Chief Minister Dr K Rosaiah approved
far reaching Prison reforms in the State. He gave green signal to the
proposals for revamping of prison administration in Andhra Pradesh. The
Chief Minister who is also Chairman of the Prison Development Board
presided over the first meeting today. Prison development board created
through an Act of Legislature for the development of the Prison system and
for matters connected therewith. Major focus is on improving Prison
Industries and Welfare of Prisoners.
The Chief Minister approved the proposal to launch Private-Public
Partnership initiatives in industries in Prisons as the existing Prison
Industries have become obsolete and are out of touch with the ground
realities. There is an urgency to replace the Prison Industries. The
administration is finding it difficult to procure raw materials and sale
of the finished goods. Therefore, an innovative step in the form of
Private - Public partnership initiatives in the Prisons was thought of. It
envisages setting up of industries by the Private people, managed by them.
They would bring the raw materials and market the finished goods. The
Prison Department is required to provide the required Prison labour.
Industries are to be set up in all the Central Prisons in Steel furniture,
Weaving, Chalk Pieces, Tailoring, Soap, Durry, Mat Weaving, Dyeing,
Phenol, Printing, Tooth Powder, Pillows and Envelop Covers etc with a view
to impart skills to prisoners while undergoing sentence to enable them to
eke out their livelihood after their release. The meeting also decided to
enhance the wages of Prisoners. The wages paid to the prisoners unskilled,
semi-skilled and skilled will be enhanced to Rs.30, 50 and 70 respectively
from the from the present Rs.10,15 and 20 per day. Out of the wages, the
amounts will be distributed to the victim fund, availment of Canteen
Facilities and rest will be deposited in the prisoner's bank account.
The Department has taken a revolutionary step of sending the children
living with female prisoners to schools outside the Prison. This is the
first of its kind in the Country. Everyday children in the age group of
3-5 years are sent to a Private School outside the Prison so that they get
quality education. A Camp Prison with 50 prisoners was established by the
Prisons Department at the Indian Immunologicals Limited, a subsidiary of
National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), at Gachibowli in 1981. The
Prisoners live there 24 hours and take care of the animals and other
related agricultural activities. NDDB is a Central Government undertaking
which produces Foot and Mouth Vaccines for the animals. The vaccine which
was costing Rs.14/- earlier is now costing about Rs.3/-. This is also
first of its kind in the country.
Andhra Pradesh is the first State to introduce the Video Linkage between
prisons and courts in 2001. 14 Prisons and 15 Courts are connected with
Video Linkage. In all 2,72,099 prisoners are produced through Video
Linkage as on 31.3.2009. Further more remaining prisons are required to be
connected with Video Linkage. A High Level Committee with the Additional
Director General of Police (Law & Order) as Chairman is constituted to
review the production of remand prisoners in Courts every month. This
measure is yielding very good results. This practice is also first of its
kind in the country.
The Prison Ward in the newly constructed Gandhi Hospital will be put to
use immediately with the required security etc. Powers will be delegated
to superintendents of Prisoners' agricultural colonies to release the
convicts on “personal bonds”. Prisoners in this case would be released on
parole on personal bonds for 48 hours to attend the death of their near
relatives.
A.P.Community service of offenders Act: It is an alternative to
imprisonment to perform unpaid work for specified number of hours as
ordered by courts with the consent of the offender. Prisoners who are
convicted to non-serious offences will be selected by the Court. These
offenders instead of serving sentence in the Prison will be required to
perform specified number of hours of service at Public places like
cleaning of Railway platforms, Parks, Hospitals etc.
These offenders would be supervised by District Probation Officers. If the
offenders violate any conditions of the Order, they would automatically be
admitted into the Prison to undergo the sentence. The above mechanism is
good both for the Government as well as for the offender. A Bill likely to
be introduced in the coming Assembly session.
Prison Management Information System: Online information regarding
prisoners is the need of the hour of Prison Department, Police Department
& Courts. To connect all these three wings of Administration, Prison
Management Information System (PMIS) will be developed and implemented.
Online information not only help Administration but also public by
enhancing image of the Government.
Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy, Principal Secretary, Home, Ajay Mishra,
Director General and Inspector General of Prisons, C.N.Gopinatha Reddy,
Special Secretary, Home (Prisons), Usha Kumari, Additional DG, Prisons,
Narasimha Reddy, Chairman, State Level Police Recruitment Board, Ratan,
Secretary, Finance, T Satyanarayana and other officials attended the
meeting.
-June''
2010
