Prison dept to improve rights of Central Prison inmates

CHENNAI: The inmates of the Central Prisons in the state would soon make video calls to their family members and they can also make calls once in three days to keep in touch with their families. It was one of the measures taken by the prison department as part of the rehabilitation programmes, according to Minister for Law and Prisons S Regupathy.

The department would also change the diet pattern for the prisoners and enhance the same with an additional fund of Rs 2.6 crore annually, the minister told the assembly while delivering a speech on demand for grants for the department on Monday. "These are the measures taken by the department as prisons are considered to be places for rehabilitation. It also shows the government's perception that prison is no more the place for punishment," said the minister.

The department increased the frequency of phone calls and duration for the prisoners in the telephone booth facility to once in three days, which would account for 10 times in a month, and 12 minutes for each call. Video call facility would also be introduced soon, said the minister and announced that libraries in prisons would be upgraded at Rs 2.08 crore.

Hitherto, the inmates of the prisons were allowed to make two calls a week and the duration of each call was restricted to 7 minutes. Increasing the duration and number of calls help the prisoners to remain connected with the family members and also help them to overcome stress and mental agony.

The department would also facilitate the articles made by the prisoners under the brand name of "Freedom" in TN Police Canteen.

To step up security measures and surveillance, the department would install 600 CCTV with accessories for 105 sub jails, 8 district jails and women jail (annex), Tiruppur and video wall facility in nine central prisons at Rs 11.50 crore. Non-linear junction detector to all the central prisons and special sub jail in Poonamallee at Rs 3.25 crore and digital mobile radio walkie-talkie and repeaters would be procured at Rs 3 crore to improve the communication facilities in the prisons.

Special POCSO Court

A special court would be established in Tirunelveli for trial of cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012. Besides this, courts would come up in Tiruvannamalai and Vellore districts. The law department would also procure 818 laptops for judicial officers at Rs 10.71 crore, said the minister.