Jump to content
IndiaDivine.org
Sign in to follow this  
suchandra

Finding Freedom Behind Bars

Rate this topic

Recommended Posts

<!-- ~~|ByLine|ArticleContentFont|height="5px"|byline|520|10| ~~--> <!-- ~~|Agency|ArticleAgencyFont|height="5px"|agency name|520|10| ~~--> <!-- ~~|123Dop123|ArticleContentFont|height="5px"|DoP|520|10|~~ --> <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="98%"><tbody><tr><td class="articleheaderfont" valign="bottom">"Dodgy food is a thing of the past. Today, ISKCON temple's Akshaya Patre provides the meals. If fitness frenzy has taken over the world, the jail inmates are not being left behind. Each of the women's weight is checked once every 15 days and they are counselled on diet and nutrition."

Finding freedom behind bars</td></tr><tr><td height="5">

</td></tr> <tr><td class="articlecontentfont">http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Aug112007/she2007081018362.asp

</td></tr><tr><td height="5">

</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" class="overviewfont">Ironically enough, inside the prison, they have found a meaning for their existence. Some are pursuing education while others are dishing up great food. And some others are expert tailors. Srishti Mittal is amazed after meeting some women prisoners in Bangalore Central Jail</td></tr><tr><td height="5">

</td></tr> <tr> <td class="ArticleContentFont">

 

jail.jpgSaturday, August 11, 2007 - - A prison usually conjures up images of a dark, sinister grave, contaminated with hardened criminals with even harder hearts.

Perturbed by the spookiness, one expects the morbidity of unlawfulness to suffocate when they enter this dark abyss. However, Bangalore Central Jail, the largest penitentiary of the "Silicon Valley of the East" - housing 5,008 including 50 women lifers — is a place which goes against all these presumptions.

The women’s jail here is considered more of a family and K C Divyashree - the first and only woman superintendent, says the inmates “feel more comfortable” dealing with her and she has been working to make the prison more of a reformation centre.

When approached, the women inmates were apprehensive, diffident of a new face in their "home" and unobtrusive.

Of the 153 sari-clad "residents", 59 are in rigorous imprisonment, 2 simple and 92 are under trial prisoners, who get the benefit of wearing their own clothes and not the mandatory white sari "uniform" which the convicted have to don.

The aged ones - 16 in number - were pallid spectrals while many in the prime of their lives were de-flushed of all the robustness they should have possessed and were merely wafting across the stone floors like a zephyr.

It is tough to believe that these pre-incarcerated sanguine limbs - now gaunt and infirm- could have committed the most notorious crimes like dowry harassment, murder of their husband, children or in relation to land quarrels, theft, dacoity, kidnapping, and a few guilty of meandering the dark streets for prostitution.

All praise

The women prisoners however, are all praise for the present officials who they claim are all very supportive and want women inmates to face society with all confidence and self-support.

Albeit, these women were first apprehensive of being "jailed", they soon acclimatised because of all the programmes that run which aim to lower stress, discipline the mind and body and heal emotions.

Among the many revolutions that have taken place in the jailing system, some include training and teaching the inmates fabric painting, papad making, home nursing and beautician courses.

They are not robbed of basic facilities like 24-hour electricity and water but instead spoiled with modern mediums of entertainment like colour cable television (found in each barrack) as well as Worldspace Radio which is transmitted through the loudspeakers!

The volunteers of Sri Sri Ravishankar's Art of Living help them meditate, practice yoga every morning and also allow them to roll incense sticks which earns them wages of Rs 10 for every 100 sticks rolled. These are then sold to the public.

The women adept at sewing can practice blouse making at one of the many sewing machines and even earn wages of up to Rs 750. Those whose skill lies in food preparation can engage in bread/rolls/bun making at the in-house bakery.

Dodgy food is a thing of the past. Today, ISKCON temple's Akshaya Patre provides the meals. If fitness frenzy has taken over the world, the jail inmates are not being left behind. Each of the women's weight is checked once every 15 days and they are counselled on diet and nutrition.

Kabaddi, carrom, chess, throwball are all enjoyed within the premises. Psychiatric counsellors are also available for lending an ear. Three doctors conduct routine check-ups and there is a separate ward for patients being treated for a plethora of illnesses.

Being sentenced to jail does not mean one has to leave all her family behind. Those prisoners with children less than six years of age are allowed to keep their children with them in the barracks/cells.

If the child is older, with court permission for the under trials and the prisoners' willingness and the head office's consent for the convicted, the children are then sent to an NGO Janodaya-run Makkala Mandira school, adjacent to the prison.

When it comes to knowledge, even those behind the iron bars can't seem to get enough. Not only are they taught the syllabus up to seventh standard but there are currently three prisoners pursuing their BA degrees and one, Padmavati, 29, a lifer convicted of murder of her husband, deserves special mention for pursuing her MA in Journalism - all through the Indira Gandhi Open University.

Legal helpline

However, it's still not a bed of roses for them. N Bharathi Urs, 48, daughter of a famous political family of Bangalore and an under trial for the murder of a family member over land, laments, "The most striking problem is the legal helpline. The connectivity between the court and inmates is poor because ninety percent of them are below the poverty line and often cannot afford private legal counseling. The Government lawyers just sign the vakalat and then abscond.

Frustrated, the prisoner than has to go to someone else but then the earlier lawyer is unavailable for signing the No Objection Certificate which allows the inmate to seek legal help from elsewhere. So, they are on tenterhooks."

This finally leaves the case hearings to be delayed. The only way to get past this is to pass a law where if the lawyer absconds for more than three months, the inmates should be given a deemed NOC so they can carry on the case.

Another problem seems to be a large number of under trails which are jailed for petty cases. Since getting dates for court hearings is tough, prisoners feel that the government should frequently bring in Lok Adalats so that they can flush out the petty cases there itself. This not only saves precious court time but lessens crowding of jails.

No escorts

Another trouble faced by prisoners is the availability of escorts to interviews, hospitals and court hearings.

These police escorts are the lookout of the CRP (Central Reserve Policy). Everyday on an average 100-110 prisoners go to courts. Because of the lack of officers to escort them, the court hearings are often shifted to later dates - sometimes after months. The prison has no link with the escorts. Since it's the CRP that deputes them, the prison cannot control them and make sure they come.

Ultimately, no matter what the offense is every prisoner deserves a chance to reform and rehabilitate — the one with the long plaited hair who was exceedingly repentant; the one who swore to be an aggressive critic of the present judicial system and the one who is still optimistic that her son would make his first visit in the ten years that she had been serving time.

</td></tr></tbody></table>

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
Sign in to follow this  

×
×
  • Create New...