tihar prisons : reformation measures

8/13/2019 Tihar Prisons : Reformation Measures

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12/25/13, 9:27 PMTihar Prisons : Reformation Measures

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Recreation

Education

Management

Rehabilitation

Yoga/Meditation

Legal Aid

Lok Adalat

Jail Manual

Creative ArtParole

Interviews

Grievances

Society Input

Recreational Facilities

The prisoner's participation in games and sports activities within the prisons took a big jump with theorganization of inter-ward and inter-jail competitions twice a year for the last over five years. In all theprisons, sports like volleyball, cricket, basketball, kho-kho, kabbaddi, chess, carom etc. are organisedduring winter sports festivals, which are popularly known in the jail as "Tihar Olympics". Inter jail culturalmeets titled "Ethnic Tihar" are held during spring season every year in which competitions in music, dance,sher-o-shairi, quawali, painting, quiz etc. are organised for inmates. Eminent personalities from the field ofsports and culture are invited on these occasions to encourage the prisoners to take part in the sports andcultural events, to foster their physical, mental and cultural development and inculcate discipline.

Prominent dignitaries like Hon'ble Chief Minister of Delhi Smt. Shiela Dikshit, members of parliament,Members of International Committee for Red Cross, Judges of Delhi High Court with other Judicial Officersof Subordinate Judiciary, DG/IG (Prisons) of various states, Senior Government Officers from centre and

Delhi State Govt., Yoga-acharya Swami Ramdev Ji Maharaj, Archbishop of Delhi, Members of National andDelhi Commission for Women, High Commissioner of Australia visitedduring last, one year.

Famous actress Ms. Nandita Das inaugurated Pottery Unit inTihar. These efforts have gone a long way in channelising theenergy of the prisoners towards a positive direction.

All Religious and National festivals are celebrated by one andall inside the prisons. On Republic Day and Independence DayNational Flag is hoisted in all the prisons. All religious festivalslike Holi, Diwali, Id, Guru Parv, X-mas etc. are celebrated byone and all. On Raksha bandhan Day sisters/ brothers areallowed to meet the inmates and tie Rakhies. Sweets are prepared inside the prisons and sold to thevisitors. This is a big occasion which helps the jail administration to convey to the prisoners that "We Care".

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Educational Facilities and Vocational Activities

Both adult and formal education arrangements have beenmade for prisoners. Educational activities are looked after withthe help of Government resources as well as NGO'sparticipation. Study Centres of the Indira Gandhi NationalOpen University (IGNOU), New Delhi and National Institute ofOpen Schooling (NIOS), Delhi are established at Tihar Prisons

in which about 2640 and 1900 inmates students are enrolledrespectively. Computer training centres are also working in thePrisons for imparting computer education to the prisoners.

The most important aspect of the education system in Tihar Jail is that educated prisoners voluntarily teach

lesseducated prisoners. An illiterate person landing in Tihar Jail can look forward to being literate if his

stay is more than aweek. Library with the support of Non-Governmental Organisations has been created

in each jail.

Capsule computer courses of six months duration are provided to the willing and eligible inmates with the

help ofNGO Sterlite Foundation.

Many new courses like Bachelor or Art/ Commerce/Preparatory Programme Diploma in Creative Writing in

Hindi/English, Certificate in Human Rights, Masters in Tourism/Management/Computers Post GraduateDiploma in Distance Education are the main course studied in Tihar Jail.

Vocational classes in English/Hindi typing and Commercial Arts are conducted by Directorate of Training &
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Technical Education and certificates are issued to successful students.

For spreading the Gandhian Philosophy, a Gandhi Centre has been established by Gandhi Smriti and

Darshan Samiti,Government of India at IGNOU ward. More than 500 books on Gandhian philosophy were

added to the library. Some of theinmates who joined the path of 'Reformation through Education' have

been successfully rehabilitated.

Expenditure on fees for IGNOU / NIOS courses is borne by the Government. Study material like note-

books, pens etc. isalso being provided free of cost to inmate students.

Many dignitaries including Chief Minister, Ministers, Director / Inspector General of various prisons,

Judges, Vice-Chancellor of IGNOU, Chairman NHRC, Media persons and NGOs of International

organisations had visited the centre during last one year and have appreciated the efforts of jail

administration.

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Panchayat System and Participative Management

Prisoners are encouraged to participate in the management of theirwelfare activities. Sense of responsibility is inculcated in theprisoners to prepare them for social integration. Prisoners bodiescalled "Panchayats" are constituted to help prison administration inthe field of education, vocational education, legal counseling,kitchen, public works etc. Once in every year a Mahapanchayat isorganised in all Central Jail on rotational basis, in which panchayat

members ofall Tihar Prisons participated along with about 2000

prisoners to discuss problems of prisoners. The Mahapanchayatwas an open meeting of prisoners taken by DG (Prisons) and itwas held in the presence of electronic and print media. This gives an opportunity to all the prisoners to airtheir grievances before the head of the Prisons Administration i.e. "The Sarpanch". All suchsuggestions/Grievances are sympathetically heard and immediate redressal actions are initiated. Besidesgiving the prisoners a sense of pride it also helps in letting the steam off which may otherwise lead to

serious consequences, if allowed to accumulate. The prisons look like a self-contained Indian village wherethe prisoners themselves regulate their welfare activities under the guidance of prison officials. Theprisoners themselves manage prisoner welfare canteens.

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Rehabilitation

The study of the problems faced by the prisoners after release andthe reasons for committing crime guided Tihar Jail Admn. to initiatesteps, which can go a long way in rehabilitating the prisoners aftertheir release. Various trades are taught to convicts in the JailFactory itself in Jail No. 2. In addition a programme for teachingvarious trades was started in other jails also both for convicts aswell as undertrials. This programme includes pen manufacturing,book binding, manure making, screen printing, envelope making,tailoring and cutting, shoe-making etc. which has not only resultedin learning a trade but also provided monetary gains to theprisoners. For the post-release rehabilitation of the prisoners, the Social Welfare Department of Delhi Govt.provides loans for setting up self-employed units.

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Yoga and Meditation

For cleansing and disciplining mind, Yoga and meditation classes werestarted in a big way with the help of various voluntary organisations. In theyear 1994 Tihar Jail created a history by organising a Vipassana Meditationcamp for more than one thousand prisoners. Since then a permanentVipassana center has been opened in Tihar Jail No.4, where two coursesof ten days duration are organised regularly. In the year 1998, Sh. Satya

Narain Goenka, teacher of Vipassana, inaugurated "Pagodas" meditationcells in the center. Staff members are also encouraged, to attendmeditation courses. Meditation groups like Brahma Kumari IshwariyaVishvavidyalaya, Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan, Sahaj Yoga Kendra havealso opened their branches in Jails for imparting moral education, counselingand techniques of meditation to the prisoners. This has helped many prisonersin changing the whole approach to life.

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Legal Aid

Legal Aid Cells exist in every Jail with facilities fordrafting, typing and dealing with bail applications, misc.application, appeals, revision etc. on behalf of the Jailinmates. With the increase in prison population to about12,000 the demand for legal aid and advice has increasedconsiderably. Majority of prisoners belong to economicallypoor class and are not in a position to avail the services ofexpensive lawyers.

There is a Legal Panchayat system in all the jails, wherethe educated and law professional cater to the legal aid

requirements of their fellow prisoners in drafting petitions,revision and appeal applications. All these efforts have

shown encouraging results.

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Special Courts/Lok Adalats

In pursuance to the letter of Hon'ble Chief Justice of India in which suggestion was given to the Chief

Justices ofall High Courts that every Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of the area may hold his court once or

twice in a month in jail totake up the cases of those undertrials who are involved in petty offences and arekeen to confess their guilt, special LokAdalats were organised in the Jail complex. Till date 75 courts have

been organized and 3900 cases settled.

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New Prison Act & Jail Manual

The Delhi Prisons Act, 2000 has been notified on 14.2.2002 . With the introduction of thenew legislation

with modern concepts of Prison Management, the jail functioning will be strengthened and reformationactivities will get a boost. The New Prison Act will formalise and institutionalise the participation of NGOs in

PrisonManagement. The draft of Delhi Prison Rules is under consideration of the Government.
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Creative Art Therapy

Creative Art Therapy, which is psycho-therapeutic in nature,1is used in several settings. In respect to prison setting, the

therapy serves as a reformatory process in several ways.

Firstly and most importantly, it helps to express, channeliseand ventilate himself. One has to keep in mind that anyone

convicted or otherwise exiled from the rest of the world is

initially bound to have tremendous anger, aggression, sense ofhelplessness, hopelessness and emotional problems.Therefore, by encouraging and promoting Creative Art, theindividual is able to release his pent up emotions and realizehis worth as 'self' having a positive desire of improving himselfboth consciously and unconsciously.

Painting/Greeting Cards exhibition by adolescent prisoners was organized at venues:-

1. Central Cottage Industries Emporium, New Delhi,

2. Central Jail No.4, Tihar, New Delhi

3. Kala Ghoda, Art Gallery, Opp. Jahangir Art Gallery

4. India International Trade Fair, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi

5. Japanese Park, Pitam Pura, New Delhi

6. Inter Continental, Connaught Place, New Delhi

7. Australian High Commission, New Delhi.

A Website is launched on 02nd Oct., 2000 by Hon'ble Chief Minister of Delhi for on line selling of paintings

madeby inmates, address:- http://softronindia.com/expressionstihar

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System of Parole

Parole is granted to the convicts whose appeal against conviction has been decided by the appellate court.

There isno restriction on a convict about the number of times he applied for parole. The parole is generally

granted on thegrounds of sickness, death, marriage, property dispute, education or any other sufficient

reasons. This is granted bythe Hon'ble Lt.Governor, Govt. of NCT of Delhi. The parole is not admissible to

the convict undergoing sentence in the NDPScases. The period of parole is counted towards the total

sentence of a prisoner.

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System of Interviews

Each prisoner is allowed to hold two interviews per week with his

relatives/friends. The interviews are generally permitted in the

"Mulaquat Jungla" of a jail which is near the Deodhi. The duration of

each interview is 30 minutes. Theinterviews are conducted as per the

first name alphabet of a prisoner and these are so arranged so that

each alphabet hastwo days earmarked in a week. The interviews of

sick prisoners are allowed either at the hospital or deodhi. Each

prisoner isnormally permitted three visitors per interview. During the

interview, a prisoner is allowed to receive vegetarian food,fruits andclothes. He is further allowed to receive coupons worth Rs.500/- per interview. In addition, prisoners areentitled to receive interviews from his legal advisor on working days.
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Tele Booking Facility for recording Interviews with prisoners is also available. Public can record theirinterviews over telephone number 28520202 (1300 Hrs to 2000 Hrs.) for interacting with prisoners lodgedin respective jails.

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Ventilation of grievances

A prisoner grievance cell is working effectively underthe charge of Petition Officer and immediate remedialsteps are taken on the complaint/grievances of theprisoners. Prisoners have been provided facilities towrite complaints and send them to senior officerseither through fixed complaint boxes located atconvenient places in the jails or even through themobile petition box meant for petitions addressed toD.G., which is taken to all the enclosures in the Jailseveryday. Petition boxes are taken in the jails by thestaff deployed at the prison head quarters and the keyof the boxes are handled by the office of the DG (Prisons). Jail Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent andeven senior officers have frequent meetings with the prisoners openly where prisoner grievances arelistened carefully and solutions provided.

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Societal Participation in Reformation

As a part of community participation in the reformation and socialintegration of prisoners after release, a large number ofrespectable members of non-Governmental organisations, RetiredMajor General, Professors of I.I.T Delhi, Eminent Psychiatrist,

Psychologist, Principals and Teachers of various educationalinstitutions have been conducting various activities in the Prisons.These NGOs have had very sobering and positive impact on thepsyche of the prisoners, who have been shown the positive andconstructive approach to life after interaction with them. NGOsparticipation is mainly concentrated in the field of education,vocation and counseling. Apart from the formal education with the NGO support, the classes in variouslanguages like Urdu, Punjabi, German, French etc. are also held. Some of the NGOs have trained selectedprisoners on various trades and have been bringing job for them against payment of remuneration. Theseprisoners are also rehabilitated by them after their release.

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tihar prisons : reformation measures

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