In a lockdown, the fate of prisoners
While placing restrictions on jail visits is understandable, an alternative and uniformed channel for communication must be created for inmates to reduce their anxiety
ANALYSIS Updated: Mar 28, 2020 18:39 IST
Amid the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19), two major stories have gone unnoticed. The first is that of the Iranian government temporarily releasing 85,000 prisoners in the wake of several virus-related deaths. The second is from India. A two-judge bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde and LN Rao issued a notice to the director-general, Prison, and chief secretaries of all states and Union territories on March 16, asking them about the precautionary measures taken to prevent the spread of the virus in the jails. Indian jails are now setting up isolation wards for those with Covid-19 symptoms. All the 17,500 inmates in Tihar, Delhi, have been checked for symptoms, and new inmates are being screened. Lists are being finalised to release selected inmates on parole or on interim bail. Tihar has prepared a list of 3,000 inmates while Uttar Pradesh has 10,000 and Maharashtra has 11,000 inmates on their lists. This process is likely to start today.
There are 1,339 prisons in the country which house 466,084 inmates; the actual capacity is 396,223. In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, many jails have imposed restrictions on the visits of outsiders.
Visitations in prisons are of three types. The first is the one-to-one physical meeting in which an inmate is allowed to meet their visitor in an open room or lawn. They get the freedom to physically touch each other and talk. For the inmate and the visitor, this is the most satisfying form of meeting. The second is the meeting across a meshed window, which occurs in a large number of prisons. A large number of inmates in one room, talking to visitors in another room, leaves no space for privacy. The third is with toughened glass that works as a barrier between the inmate and the visitor, with an intercom on both sides. Since prison is a state subject, all states are taking their own decision, but most of the jails have closed all the three visitations. They are now restricting inmates to phone calls.
The ministry of home affairs prepared the Model Prison Manual, 2016, after building a national consensus on issues of prison reforms and highlighted the need for proper visitations. But visitations are still considered a privilege and not a right and can be reduced or completely cut if the inmate does not “behave well”.
The other issue is related to the telephone system in prisons. Even now, only a few states permit women inmates to make use of the telephone in prisons, which are available to male inmates. Prison administrators say this is because the public call office is placed in the male unit and this restricts the entry of women. Women inmates already receive fewer visitations as compared to men, due to alienation by their families.
So, when any such facility is removed from inmates’ daily routine, it comes as a shock to them. Those who have interacted with inmates will testify that inmates eagerly wait for their visitations. While placing restrictions on visits is understandable, an alternative and uniformed channel for communication must be created for them to reduce anxiety. Also, inmates are helping the nation by making masks. But this too has gone unnoticed. While taking away the concession of visits for some time, the system must also remember the contribution of inmates and the jail staff in this time of crisis.
Vartika Nanda is a prison reformer
The views expressed are personal
7 Responses
The steps taken by the jails are ingenious and heartening. As Nelson Mandela said, to deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity. So this is definitely a great stand taken. The article has another positive note, recognizing the efforts of the inmates in making masks, which went unnoticed until now. To be able to think about the inmates compassionately from time to time has been one of Dr. Vartika Nanda's most influential trait, with finding the positives from them. Sad that their efforts of making masks had gone unnoticed until now. Even Mother Teresa had described the fight for human rights as, "human rights are not a previlege conferred by government, they are every human being's entitlement by virtue of his humanity". #vartikananda #tinkatinka #humanrights #prisonreforms
It is sad news that the number of prisoners in Indian jails is a lot more than their actual capacity. It was much needed that the nation does something for these inmates during these hard times, especially when they are contributing for the nation in different ways like producing masks. I hope that while making plans to release these inmates on parole, the authorities are also thinking of providing them some kind of accommodation because many of these inmates who are being released may not have proper access to food or accomodation. #humanrights #vartikananda
The steps that are being taken by jail administration noe, should have took place a way before. But let it be. Even atleast now, if the administration will take good care, the situation will be normal. Inmates also have human rights, their right to life will be suffered if steps won't be taken properly. Hope that the perfect entitlement goes to the inmates. Thanks Vartika Nanda Ma'am for letting people know about jails and their condition through Tinka Tinka movement #Vartikananda #prisoners #human_rights #humanity#change
This is a good decision which is taken by the jail authorities. This article provides a positive note. In this hard time, when they are almost ignored, they are helping the nation by producing masks. It is also unnoticed until now. Thank you Dr. Vartika Nanda for bring these topics into discussion. Society often forget that the inmates also have human rights. Tinka Tinka Foundation helps us to know about the lives of inmates. They build a relationship between the insiders and outsiders. #vartikananda #tinkatinka
This article is an eye-opener for a lot of us who barely know the lives in prisons. There are so many things the general public is unaware of like the women not being able to make a phone call as often as male inmates. And that visitations are still a privilege for prisoners and not a right, even after the HRD's guidelines have talked about the need for visitations. I feel happy that the prison authorities took the necessary steps to ensure social distancing in these harsh times and I feel regretful that prisons form a blind spot in our country, the media barely speaks of it and I appreciate the attempt of this blog to bring the matter to the like light. #vartikananda #tinkatinka #prison #jail
Iranian government temporarily releasing 85,000 prisoners in the wake of several virus-related death,why same is not happening in india ? does government have no responsibility for the inmates, There are 1,339 prisons in the country which house 466,084 inmates; the actual capacity is 396,223 how discusting is that…and not allowing there family to meet them is very in humanitarian
Iranian government temporarily releasing 85,000 prisoners in the wake of several virus-related death,why same is not happening in india ? does government have no responsibility for the inmates, There are 1,339 prisons in the country which house 466,084 inmates; the actual capacity is 396,223 how discusting is that…and not allowing there family to meet them is very in humanitarian