Welfare Facilities:

Details of welfare facilities being provided to the prisoners in the Jails are as under”-

i) Food etc.- Food beverages etc. are being provided as per laid down norms in the Jail Manual. Relevant extract from Jail Manual is annexed as Annexure “D”. However special diet to the sick prisoner is also being provided on the prescription of Medical Officer concerned. An extract copy of the diet chart prescribed in the H.P. Jail Manual is  annexured as Annexure-:E”

ii)Other Recreational Facilities:-For recreation of the prisoners badminton, Volley ball, Carram Board, Chess, playing cards and T.V. sets have also been provided. The prisoners are also provided newspapers and magazines, book etc.

iii) Activities for reduction of stress level:-Programmes of Art of Living Yoga, Bhajan-Kirtan, Cultural activities, moral lectures are arranged in the jails of the state which help the prisoners to reduce the stress and develop positive thinking.

iv) Grant of Parole- Parole is sanctioned to the convicted prisoners in accordance with the provision of H.P. Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 1968 and the rules made there under. Requests for parole as rejected in a very few cases mostly on the grounds of non recommendations made by the District Authorities or on the grounds of overstay for long periods. In emergent cases like serious illness or death in the family and sometimes on the basis of conduct of individual prisoner the convicts are allowed parole on verifications of facts by the local Police/S.P. Ordinarily prisoners’ avail of the parole facility more than once in a year. In addition prisoners showing exceptionally good conduct are sanctioned furlough.

v) Premature release of life convicts. - The number of prisoners released U/S 432 Cr.P.C.)Pre-mature release) and U/S 161 Cr.P.C. (Mercy petition) years wise for the year 2001 to March 2005 as under:-

Jail Security:

The Department has got constructed high security blocks at M.C. Jail Nahan and District Jail Dharmsala, but no additional Security staff for these enclosures could be provided due to financial constraints as a result of which the department is facing difficulties in order to make these blocks fully functional.

Other Living Conditions in the Jails:

i) Toilets- Separate toilets are provided for males and females. Presently we have 151 toilets and on a average we are providing one toilet for about 7.50 prisoners. A few more toilets are also being constructed/ proposed to be constructed with the new barracks under the Modernization of Prisons Scheme.

ii) Bathrooms.:-There are 103 bath rooms and a few more are also being constructed/ proposed to be constructed. Sufficient number of bath rooms has been provided in all the Jails.

ii) Medical facilities:-Four posts of Medical Officers are sanctioned for the bigger Jails i.e. at M.C. Jail Shimla (Kanda) M.C. Jail Nahan, Open Air Jail Bilaspur and District Jail Dharmsala. These Medical Officers have been appointed on deputation from the Department of Health, H.P. Medical officers visit other Jails in the Pradesh regularly from the Civil Hospitals for medical checkup and treatment of the prisoners.

iv) Prisoners are provided berths in all the jails as prescribed in the Jail Manual. However, open spaces are used for sleeping in case of overcrowding inside the barracks. Proper bedding is also provided as prescribed in the Jail Manual.

Steps taken/proposed to be taken to improve living condition in the Jails:

In H.P. we have taken the following steps to improve the living conditions in the Jails as per details given hereunder:-

i) Modernization of Prisons Scheme:

A. 5 year scheme called Modernization of Prisons Scheme has commenced from the financial year 2002-03 by the Govt. of India. Under this scheme the Govt. has earmarked an outlay of Rs.20.21 Crore for a period of 5 years i.e. from 2002-03 to 2006-07 on cost sharing in the ratio of 75:25 (75% to be contributed given by the Central Govt.) for construction of New Jail buildings, expansion/ repair and renovation of existing buildings, improvement of sanitation and water supply and also for the improvement of staff accommodation.

The Government of India has allocated the funds to the tune of Rs.6.06 Crore for the year 2002-03 and 2003-04 as Central share (Rs.3.03 Crore for the year 2002-03 and Rs.3.03 Crore for the year 2003-04). The State Government has allocated Rs.4.02 Crore on account of State share for the year 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004- The Deptt.Of Prisons in H.P. is progressing swiftly by the introduction of Scheme under Modernization of Prisons Administration by the Central Govt. as stated above. The implementation of the recommendations made by various Jail Reforms Committees and orders and directions passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Courts from time to time as well as, Hon’ble High Courts will now hopefully be implemented in the coming 05 and 2005-06. Funds to the tune of Rs.9.08 Crore have already been provided to the Executive Agencies and Rs.1.00 Crore is being provided shortly as State share for the year 2005-06 to the executive agencies. We have started raising the accommodation for the prisoners in the Jails by construction additional barracks/ accommodations.

Considering the steep rise in Prison population and new challenges of security it is necessary that prison staff is increased accordingly. But unfortunately this is not being done due to financial constraint and as a result overcrowded jails are being administered with less than desired/ideal staff resulting in physical and mental stress on the staff, which is true not only in H.P. but other states also.

ii) Inspections:

Quarterly inspections of Jails are carried out by the District & Sessions Judges and compliance in this regard is submitted by the Superintendent Jail concerned as well as by the Prisons Hqs. to the Hon’ble High Court. The officers from the Prisons HQs. also visit Jails to supervise the working of the Jails in all its aspects.

iii) Jail Industry:

We are running Jail Industries at Model Central Jail Nahan, Kanda (Shimla) and District Jail Dharamshala to train the prisoners in few trades so that after their release from the Prison they may be able to rehabilitate themselves. The detail of trades and the items manufactured in the respective jail industries where training is imparted to them is as follows:-

Inmates working in these jails are paid the minimum wages at the rate fixed by the Govt. of H.P. in case of unskilled worker. No amount is deducted and the wages earn by the inmates are paid to them in full. The requirement of clothing articles and blankets for prisoners is met out of the items produced by the jail industries.

We are in the process of negotiation with Khadi Asharm, which has its headquarters at the Mall Shimla, to provide work to the Jail inmates at Model Central Jail Kanda(Shimla) .The Ashram will impart training to Jail inmates to run “CHARKHAS” to spin cotton yarn (soot).Thereafter, the Ashram will employ the trained inmates and pay them labour charges. The project is likely to be started shortly 1-2 months. This project will be very useful for the Jail inmates as a welfare measure.