Reformation of Prisoners

Rajasthan Prisons Department has always been ahead in correctional services for prisoners. The department provides services and programs to address prisoner needs, structured use of leisure, and facilitate the successful reintegration of prisoners into society.

Upon arrival at a new institution, a convict prisoner is screened by staff from the case management, medical & mental health units. Later, a prisoner is assigned tasks where he or she receives a formal orientation to the programs, services aimed at learning vocational skill.

Research has conclusively demonstrated that participation in a variety of programs that teach marketable skills helps to reduce recidivism. Additionally, institutional misconduct can be significantly reduced through programs that emphasize personal responsibility, respect, and tolerance of others.

The department offers a wide variety of program aimed at vocational training, formal and moral education and sports and recreational facilities. Educated prisoners teach illiterate prisoners in prisons barracks so that illiterate may acquire basic minimum knowledge of words and figures. Those who want to take up or continue higher studies are given facility to prepare and fee is also paid through Prisoners Welfare Fund or NGO's.

Rajasthan Prisons achieved landmark in the history of prisons when ITI & study centre of IGNOU were established at Central Prison Jaipur. Prisoners take up the courses of plumber, electrician, and like trades. Today IGNOU study centers running at central jail jaipur, jodhpur, udaipur, kota, ajmer, bharatpur, bikaner, sri ganganagar, and distt. jails alwar, bhilwara, jhalawar and women reformatory jaipur.

The Administration of prisons is accorded utmost priority by Government. Concerted efforts are taken to improve the all round welfare measures of prisoners and basic infrastructure facilities. The principles of correctional administration are imbibed by Prison Department so as to provide for reformation and rehabilitation in the system.


Sports and Recreational Facilities

In all the prisons, facilities of games & sports like volleyball, kho-kho, kabbaddi, chess, carom etc. for inmates have been created. Prisoner's participation in games and sports activities within the prisons took a big jump with periodical organization of inter-prison competitions. Intra prison cultural meets at Central Prisons are held during every year in which competitions in music, dance, sher-o-shairi, quawwali, painting, quiz etc. are organized for prisoners. Eminent public personalities are invited on these occasions to encourage the prisoners to take part in the sports and cultural events, to foster their physical, mental and cultural development and inculcate discipline.

Various newspapers, books and magazines are provided to them for their knowledge gain. TV, radio-sets, cassette players are also provided for their entertainment. Competitions in debate, singing, dance & drama, sports & games, etc are regularly organized at district and state level.

All Religious and National festivals are celebrated by one and all inside the prisons. On Republic Day and Independence Day National Flag is hoisted at all prisons. All religious festivals like Holi, Diwali, Id, Guruparv, X-mas etc. are celebrated by one and all. On Raksha-Bandhan Day sisters are allowed to meet their prisoner brothers to tie Rakhies. Similarly, on occasion of Id lady members of prisoners’ family are allowed to meet them.


Yoga and Meditation:

For cleansing and disciplining mind, Yoga and meditation classes are run with the help of various voluntary organizations. Staff members are also encouraged to attend meditation courses. Organizations like Brahma Kumari Ishwariya Vishvavidyalaya, Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan, Sahaj Yoga Kendra, Art of Living, etc have been imparting moral education, counseling and techniques of meditation to the prisoners. This has helped many prisoners in changing the whole approach to life.


Human Rights in Prison

The Human Rights of prisoners are taken care of by providing wholesome living conditions with sufficient accommodation, ventilation, food facilities, potable drinking water, better diet, medical and sanitation facilities, interview and communication facilities, entertainment, free legal aid etc. The staff is also provided sufficient training in Human Rights so as to alter their attitude towards the Prisoners.


Prisoners Welfare Programme

Prison officers cater to the welfare of the prisoners. Women prisoners can keep their children upto the age of 4 years with them in prisons. Crèches have been established in prisons for benefit of children of women inmates. Yoga and Meditation classes are conducted regularly by various non-governmental organizations. Films of moral and educative value are also shown. Radio and TV Sets have been provided in blocks for the entertainment of prisoners. Music and games are also provided for the recreation of the Prisoners.


Clothing and bedding

All convict prisoners are provided with prison clothing and all other prisoners are permitted to use their own clothing.


Possession of Property

Valuable articles like jewelry, watches, cash, etc carried by prisoners are deposited with Prison Authorities. The deposited articles are returned at the time of release of prisoner.


Possession of Money

The wages earned by the prisoners in the prison and the money received by them are kept in the "Prisoners Property Account" as they cannot keep the money with themselves. They can send the money from their account to their blood relatives during emergencies. They can also purchase the required cosmetic and novelties out of their cash property account from the prisoners’ canteen. The balance amount standing at their credit is returned to them at the time of their release.


Diet

Nutritious food prepared under hygienic conditions is supplied to the prisoners as per the scale prescribed in Rajasthan Prisons Rules. Items like milk, bread, egg etc, are given to the prisoners as medical diet to the sick prisoners on the recommendation of the Prison Medical officer. Stainless steel plates, bowls and mugs are provided to prisoners for their personal use. Stainless Steel cooking vessels are used in prisons to cook food. Food from outside is not permitted. Special diet is also given to prisoners four times in a year on festive occasions.


Parole

Parole is granted to the eligible convicted prisoners for encouraging in them the spirit of discipline and good conduct. Parole is granted to the convicts who have completed one fourth of their substantive sentence including remission. There is no restriction on a convict about the number of times he can apply for parole. Emergent parole is generally granted on the grounds of critical sickness, death, marriage of blood relations mentioned in the rules, property destruction any other sufficient reasons. Regular parole is granted by the District Parole Advisory Committee. Emergent parole upto seven days is granted by the Superintendent of Prison while emergent parole of upto 15 days is granted by the District Magistrate and DG&IG Prisons. The period of regular parole is counted towards the total sentence of a prisoner. A provision of 45 days parole has been made by the state government for pregnant woman convict at the time of child delivery.


Premature release of prisoners

The purpose of releasing prisoners prematurely is to give them chance for rehabilitation in the society. It is given to the prisoners those who have behaved exceedingly well during the period of sentence and have served sufficient deterrent period of their sentence. There is provision of premature release from prison for those convicts who bear exemplary good conduct. Advisory Boards have been constituted under Rajasthan Prisoners (Shortening of Sentences) Rules, 2006 to make recommendation to the state government for premature release of eligible prisoners. After considering the recommendations of Advisory Boards, the State Government decides to release or not to release the prisoners prematurely.


Periodical Review of cases of UT Prisoners

A committee under chairmanship of Chief Judicial Magistrate has been constituted in every district of the state for periodically reviewing the case of undertrial prisoners. The committee meets every month to review cases of prisoners who are in jail over a long period and suggest measures for timely disposal of their cases.


System of Interviews

Each prisoner is allowed to hold periodical interviews with his relations/friends. An undertrial prisoner is allowed weekly interviews while a convicted prisoner is allowed fortnightly interviews. The interviews are permitted in the "Interview Gallery" of a prison. The duration of each interview is 45 minutes. Each prisoner is normally permitted three visitors per interview. During the interview, a prisoner is allowed to receive non-prohibited edibles and clothes. In addition, prisoners are entitled for interviews with legal advisor on working days.


Facilities

Jail canteens have been started at all central and district jails with a limit of Rs.1400 per month purchases of goods from their deposits

Telephone/P.C.O. facilities is available for prisoner at central jail jaipur, ajmer, and women reformatory jaipur. work-order has been placed to established. This facility at central jail kota, bharatpur, udaipur, bilakner and sri ganganagar.

Visitors to Prison

There is a Board of visitors comprising official and non official visitors for each Prison. While, non-official visitors are appointed by the state government, the official visitors are as mentioned in Rajasthan Prison Manual. The visitors can visit the prison periodically and see that the prisoners are treated in accordance with the rules and their security is ensured.


Ventilation of grievances

Any prisoner or citizen can make verbal/written complaints to the Officer-in-charge of Prison and immediate remedial steps are taken. The prisoners can ventilate their grievances through the sealed complaint Boxes which are kept in conspicuous places with easy accessibility to prisoners. These complaint boxes are opened by the District Sessions Judge and appropriate action taken on the complaints deposited by the prisoners. Separate complaint boxes are also provided by Prison Authorities to receive complaints from prisoners and public at large.

Prison Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent and other senior officers have frequent meetings with the prisoners where prisoner grievances are listened carefully and solutions provided.

Grievance Redressal Cell has been established at Prison Headquarters. Complaints regarding dissatisfaction with prison administration can also be addressed to DG, Addl DG and DIG Prisons. Addl. Director General of Prisons is also the Chief Vigilance Officer of the department.


Prisoners’ Welfare Fund

Prisoners’ Welfare Fund has been constituted for welfare and benefit of prisoners. It is used for remitting examination fee of prisoners, buying text books, stationery, sports articles, organizing sports & cultural programmes and meditation camps and celebrating festivals in prisons and to provide spectacles for reading to prisoners on medical advice.


Prison Band

Prisoners’ Band groups have been formed at Central Prison Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ajmer, Bikaner and Kota. Prisoners are given training in playing band instruments. These bands are sent on private functions against fixed charges. Half of the income generated by prisoners’ band is distributed to the prisoners working in band and the other half is spent on maintenance of the band.


Treatment of Women Prisoners

There are two separate Women Reformatories in the state at Jaipur and Jodhpur which are exclusively administered by women staff. Woman prisoners are provided with all facilities that are available to male prisoners. They are also given training in vocational trades. Women Prisoners’ children of age up to 4 years are admitted. Nursery & crèche have been established in Women Reformatories.