Udayani Social Action Forum

Presidency Correctional Home

"Why should you worry about these people? They are dangerous criminals, murderers and rapists, why complain if they are ill-treated? They deserve it." In the popular mind, prisoners are dangerous criminals and hence deserve no mercy. No wonder the local population of Bhagalpur-and many outside-supported the Bhagalpur blinding.

The notion that prisoners are dangerous criminals assumes that our police is, in the first instance, able to nab the culprits - dacoits, murderers, black marketers, smugglers; that prosecution then does take place; that notwithstanding the delays, criminals are convicted - whether they are rich or poor. Are these facts or myths?

Who are the people in jails? Are they dangerous criminals, a threat to society? Investigations by various organizations establish that a majority are either under-trials or those picked up for other reasons. According to the 78th report of the Law Commission as on April 1, 1977, of a total prison population of 1,84,169, as many as 1,01,083 (roughly 55%) were under-trials. For specific jails, some other reports show: Secunderabad Central Jail- 80 per cent under-trials; Surat-78 per cent under-trials; Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya-66 per cent under-trials.

If you are poor and have once landed in jail, for whatever reason or no reason, the probability of your being back in jail off and on is fairly high. "When you are an undertrial and go to the court every fortnight, the people, policemen everybody watches you... You are a 'criminal'. You will be nabbed again as a suspect whenever anything goes wrong in your locality. At the police lock-up you will be beaten (if you do not bribe them) to extort a 'confession'."

Life Behind Bars

What are the conditions in jails? What is the effect of confinement on the human psyche, away from friends and relatives, persistently nagged by fears? Caught in his own complexes, with no one to console him, how does a prisoner live through his years in jail?

Food, Accommodation and Medical Treatment

Most of the jails were built in the nineteenth century or at the turn of this century. They are in a state of disrepair and are overcrowded. The Shah Commission reports that on the eve of the Emergency, in as many as 15 of the 27 States and Union Territories, the actual population of the prisoners far exceeded the authorised accommodation. In Assam there were 7909 prisoners in accommodation meant for 4,930; Bihar- 38,407 as against 21,140; Madhya Pradesh-16,66 as against 12,388; Orissa-10,222 as against 6,668; Maha-rashtra-19,786 as against 14,801; West Bengal-25,999 as against 20,237; Delhi 2,699 as against 1,273.

The food served to the prisoners is unfit for consumption. According to a report of Seraikela Jail in Bihar in Economic and Political Weekly, July 1978, "Due to overcrowding, a number of prisoners have to spend the nights actually sitting up. The prisoners are invariably very poor people; but the food is so rotten that they find it revolting…..Quite often the prisoners are ordered to lap up the dal which overflows on to the floor. For vegetable the prisoners are fed with wild grass and roots.... A glass of water was found to have no less than one inch of mud at the bottom... . For 400 to 800 prisoners, there are just eight latrines. The prisoners therefore defecate at the drains. In winter, six of them have to huddle under one blanket. Tubercular prisoners sleep with the as yet un-diseased ones."

Medical facilities-however meager-are available only in some central jails in each state. In district and sub-jails, a compounder or some registered medical practitioner is supposed to visit at regular intervals; the visits never materialize.

Loneliness and Frustration

Theirs is a closed existence; visits from friends and relatives are few and far between for most prisoners. Many of them have not had a visit for years together. Poor as their friends and relatives are, they find it difficult to bear the transportation expenses to visit their kith and kin in jail. Further, they are made to wait for hours at the jail gate; in many jails the gate-keeper asks for a bribe.

Then there are sexual perversions of all sorts. Homosexuality is widely prevalent. The jail authorities turn a blind eye to this. When a young boy enters, the prisoners have been known to have bid a price for the boy. The price offered is in terms of 'bidis', soap or charas. Often prisoners have been divided into camps and the groups have fought each other on the issue of who shall have the new entrant.

Situation of Prisons in India / Bengal:

It is interesting to note that West Bengal is the first state to introduce the Correctional Services Act known as "The West Bengal Correctional services Act. 1992" effective from 14th April 2000. There are 1,305 prisons in India, with the capacity for 2,14,241 prisoners. Of this around 73% of the entire prison population are under-trials. The percentage of women prisoners in India is just 3.18%. The average ratio between the prison staff and the prisoners in India is 1 : 7. It means only one prison staff is available for every 7 prisoners while in UK there are 2 prison staff available for every 3 prisoners.

In Bengal there are 53 correctional homes, which consists of 6 central correctional homes, 12 district correctional homes, 4 special correctional homes and 30 subsidiary correctional homes. The table below depicts the picture of prison population of the State as on 30.6.2004.

S.No Type of Inmates Male Female Total
1. Convict 3,266 171 3,437
2. Under-Trial 13,099 820 13,919
3. Others* 392 162 554
4. Grand Total 16,757 1,153 17,910

* others include mainly criminal lunatics, released foreign nationals mostly Bangladeshis awaiting repatriation and children with their mothers.
(The above data is from the Prison Directorate West Bengal Newsletter "Prison News", Vol. 1, Issue 6, Jul 04 - Sept. 04.)

Activities of Udayani at Presidency Correctional Home:

1. Family Counselling Centre (FCC):

Goals:
· To Provide individual counselling and guidance to women inmates in distress
· To enhance a sense of worth in themselves
· To raise hopes that they can return from the path of crime to a life of peace
· To provide legal aid to women who need it
· To identify the roots of illegal migrants and rehabilitate them in their own homes
· organizing awareness programmes to enhance and build their self-confidence

Why Counselling?

The primary intention is to give an empathetic, human hearing to the stories and agonies of the inmates. By being at their side, listening to their story from their point of view, helping them to unburden their bitter experiences, the counsellors become their friends and their guide to help them see the brighter side of life and lead them from the passion of anger and vengeance to the passion of love and forgiveness.

Activities:
· Regular visits and counselling of women prisoners at Correctional Home
· Case studies done with the inmates and also with their family members if needed.
· Organizing awareness programmes to enhance the self-confidence among the inmates.
· Networking with other NGOs on legal matters.
· Organizing cultural programmes for and with the inmates.
· To create positive linkages with the family members and relations.


2. Education, Awareness and Rehabilitation (EAR) for Prisoners:

Objectives:
· To educate the children and women in Prison in a normal school setting inside the home.
· To promote humane relationship between the prisoners and the administrative staff of the prison.

Activities:
· Primary Education for the children between 5 - 15 years.
· Educational of the children of prisoners who are in schools.
· Building Peace among the prisoners' family members
· Cultural involvement and training

3. Programme for Women and Men in Prison:
· Celebration on days of National importance and festivals.
· Self Awareness Sessions.
· Cultural programmes to help the prisoners to express their innermost feelings through drama, songs, role plays etc.

Inmates under the watchful eyes of the security guards at PCH

Women behind bars

West Bengal Social Welfare Board members at the Inauguration of Udayani Family Counselling Centre at PCH

Women inmates in tears during a group counselling session

Women inmates during a workshop in PCH

Children of the Women inmates enjoying a cultural evening