Following initiatives were taken by the Government to facilitate prison reforms:
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The Pakwasa Committee
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All India Jail Manual Committee
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The All-India Committee on Jail Reforms (Mulla Committee)
- The condition of the prisons should be improved in terms of clothing, sanitation, food, and ventilation.
- Training should be given to prison staff. The committee also suggested the establishment of an all-India service called the Indian Prisons and Correctional Service for the recruitment of prison officials across the country.
- Media and the general public should be allowed to visit the prisons. This will help the people get information regarding the situation inside. In return, this will help the prisons to improve their conditions constantly.
- Initiatives should be taken to reduce the number of undertrial prisoners in prison. Moreover, they should be kept separately from the convicted prisoners.
- The government should increase the spending on prisons to ensure that there are sufficient resources and funds.
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The Krishna Iyer Committee on Jail Reforms
- Women prisoners should be informed of their rights.
- Only women constables are allowed to conduct searches on women prisoners.
- Checkups should be done on the women who are admitted to prisons.
- Women should be allowed to keep their children with them up to 6 years of age. After that, the child will be handed over to the child welfare committee or any other designated institution.
- A suggestion box is to be provided for women prisoners so that they can put their suggestions in it to improve the prison environment.
Model Prison Manual
In the case of Ramamurthy vs. the State of Karnataka (1996), the Supreme Court of India directed the Central and State Governments to formulate a new Model Prison Manual. Earlier, a manual was made in 1960, and it was in use, but a need was felt for a more comprehensive guide. Therefore, the new Model Prison Manual was made in 2003 by the All-India Model Prison Manual Committee, which circulated this to all the state governments and Union territories so they could adopt it. The manual had guidelines for the effective management and administration of prisons. It was prepared after widescale recommendations and consultation with various stakeholders and state governments. The manual suggested focusing more on rehabilitation than on punishment. It also advocated for the rights of the prisoner in terms of food, clothing, and healthcare and provided for increased community participation. However, this system faced its challenges. Then, in 2016, the government took the initiative to update the 2003 manual. The manual included the use of technology in prisons to reintegrate and rehab prisoners, educational programs, and virtual meetings. It had dedicated chapters that focused on legal aid, medical care, and the welfare of prisoners. States were advised to adopt this manual so that there could be uniformity in the basic principles that govern our prisons. Flexibility to modify the manual was given per their local conditions.Justice Amitava Roy Committee on Prison Reforms
This committee was established in 2018 by the Supreme Court of India to address issues with the prison systems. The committee studied the challenges associated with prisons, like overcrowding, prison management, etc., and submitted their report in 2022 with the following recommendations:- The prisons should have suicide-proof barracks with collapsible material, which could prevent suicide.
- Special fast-track courts should be established to deal with certain categories of cases. This will ensure that the number of undertrial prisoners is reduced.
- Both the new and existing inmates should be given Ayushman cards.
- Vacancies should be filled in the prison departments
