Tiruchy Central Prison cries for reforms

TIRUCHY:  With the State government keen on initiating steps for police reforms, it seems prisons also need a closer look. Prisons are more or less like torture houses even now. As a result, suicide tendencies and mental illness among prisoners are on the rise. And with the concept of reforming a prisoner almost unknown to prison officials, the situation is getting worse day by day. Take a look at Tiruchy Central Prison. As a so urce puts it, a jail term here transforms petty criminals into hardcore rowdies.According to R Alex, an inquiry commissioner appointed by the District Legal Services Authority on a direction from the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, when he went to the Tiruchy jail to interrogate an inmate on August 19, jailor Senthamarai Kannan demanded that the meeting be held in his presence. “Though I cited the rules, he did not heed to it. So, I had to return without conducting the inquiry,” Alex said. Alex was to interrogate Raja Hussain, a prisoner who had petitioned about the human rights  violation in the prison.The officer later submitted an interim report to the DLSA secretary mentioning that the prison officials failed to adhere to the norms of the Tamil Nadu Prison Rules 1983. His report said the officials not only acted against human rights, but also against fundamental rights. Commenting on the report, DIG and Prison Superintendent (incharge) Duraisamy said the inquiry officer in this case had demanded to go round the prison, which was not allowed even if he was a judicial officer in the rank of a Magistrate. The member of the panel should conduct inquiry only in front of the jailer, the DIG added.Sources said the Central Prison is like a “heavenly abode” for the officials and a “hell” for the convicts. The convicts who dared to raise questions about the irregularities are put in the E Ward or the punishment ward. Once there, they are made to stand or lie naked and are tortured, sources added. The CP 4 Ward housing mentally ill inmates is overcrowded and most of them are believed to be showing suicidal tendencies. There are three cells in this ward.“We are refused parole. Also, short-term convicts are refused remission cut,” an ex-convict said on condition of anonymity. The irregularities in the prison never comes to the fore as prisoners never dare to utter a word about it. Ev en the complaint boxes that are kept in the prison by the district legal aid centre for dropping grievance petitions have been removed by the officials.