Indian prisons are often seen as a place where criminals are punished and tried to reform. But the reality of these prisons is much more harsh and complex. There are many stories hidden behind closed walls, exposing human rights violations, horrific living conditions, and flaws in the justice system. Life inside prison is often one of pain, inequality and struggle, where prisoners have to contend not only with their crimes but also with the unbearable conditions they face. Through this video, we will try to peek into this dark world of Indian prisons and bring out the truths that often remain unheard and unseen.
Daily Routine
If someone commits a crime, he is punished and the person who is in jail, his routine is like this –
- The prisoners are woken up around 5:00 in the morning.
- Jail staff count the prisoners and confirm their attendance.
- After this the person cleans his clothes and thinks like other people do.
- Prisoners are served breakfast at approximately 7 o’clock in the morning.
- Breakfast mostly includes tea, roti or dalia and sometimes rice and milk are also given.
- After having breakfast, the prisoners are made to do various tasks like – gardening, handicrafts work, washing clothes, preparing lunch etc. And the timing of work is – from 8 o’clock in the morning to 12 o’clock in the afternoon and from 2 o’clock in the afternoon till 5 o’clock
- Now comes the lunch which is served at 12.30, it consists of dal, rice, roti and vegetables. Questions are often raised about jail food.
- Rest time is from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm.
- Prisoners can rest or interact in their barracks.
- From 2 o’clock to 5 o’clock the prisoners are put to other works.
- The prisoners are counted again at 6:00 pm.
- Now it’s time for dinner, which is served at around 6.30. 13. This meal is also similar to lunch, which sometimes includes sweets.
- After 7:00 pm the prisoners return to their barracks.
- The final count takes place at 8:00 pm.
- After 9:00 pm all lights are switched off and prisoners are asked to sleep.
What do prisoners have to face in jail?
Lucky bisht who was an NSG commando he protected many VIPs but he was arrested in the murder of 2 people in 2011. He tells in one of his interviews that there is so much of crowd in the jails that you can’t even turnaround while sleeping.
The total number of admitted jails is 4 lakh prisoners but by 2023, there will be 5.5 lakh prisoners admitted in jails which is 37 percent more than the total. Overcrowding of jails is highest in states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, where Many prisons have overcrowding of more than 150%.
- Tihar Jail, Delhi has a capacity of 5,200 prisoners but about 12 thousand prisoners have been imprisoned in it, which is almost 230 percent more than the capacity.
- The capacity of Patne Central Jail is approximately 2000 prisoners but in this jail there are more than 4000 prisoners which is almost 200 percent more than the capacity.
- Mumbai central jail has a capacity of 800 prisoners but this jail has more than 2500 prisoners which is almost 312 percent more than the capacity.
And this is the condition of every jail in India. Overcrowding in Indian prisons is a serious and widespread problem. This situation not only affects the lives of prisoners but also poses a big challenge to the jail administration.
Health Services
- The condition of health services in Indian prisons is quite worrying.
- There are reports of shortage of enough doctors in jail. According to , 33% posts of doctors are vacant in Indian prisons.
- According to (NCRB) data of 2020, there is a severe shortage of essential medical staff in many prisons. Out of 1,412 posts, only 953 were filled.
- In 2020, approximately 1500 people in jail were infected with TB. And more than 1100 are HIV positive. But due to the work of doctors, they are not able to get treatment.
- Of those in jail, 5,221 suffered from mental problems. But there is a severe shortage of mental health services.
- In some reports it has been said that the food given in jail is deficient in nutrition due to which the jail inmates have to face diseases.
- According to NCRB data, 53 percent of the jails in which the disease occurred were due to lack of cleanliness.
- In 2020, 1,887 prisoners died, of which 1,776 died from natural causes and 111 from unnatural causes. Many of these deaths occurred due to lack of medical services.
Living Conditions
The life of prisoners in jail is very bad. Indian jails are overcrowded. Due to overcrowding there is no space to sleep in the jail. There is a shortage of toilets in jail, more than 100 prisoners use the same toilet because the toilet gets filled up and due to this, unhygienic conditions are created and diseases occur. The food given to prisoners is not worth eating. Due to which the prisoners have to face a lot of problems. Even water is not worth drinking. Jail health care services are lacking due to which prisoners sometimes have to leave their lives. Incidents of violence and abuse are common, including fights between prisoners and inhumane treatment by prison staff. Overall, the living conditions in the jails are very harsh and a decision should be taken soon to remedy this.
Abuse and Violence
Abuse and violence are a serious problem in Indian prisons. Prisoners often face physical, mental, and sexual abuse. Incidents of ill-treatment of prisoners by prison staff are common, including complaints of beatings, abuse, and detention in inhumane conditions. Additionally, there are incidents of violence and factionalism among fellow prisoners, which has a negative impact on the safety and mental health of prisoners. According to a 2018 report, around 1,300 prisoners were injured due to violence in prisons. Incidents of sexual abuse, especially in the case of female prisoners, are a serious concern. Prisons are monitored from time to time by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and other organizations, but reform efforts often prove futile. These incidents of abuse and violence make it clear that human rights violations of prisoners in Indian prisons are a deep-rooted problem. Yes, which has the potential for improvement.
False Cases
The problem of innocent people being jailed in false cases in India is a serious and widespread issue, which highlights the shortcomings of the judicial system. About 70% of the prisoners in Indian prisons are undertrials, many of whom are framed on false charges and remain in jail for years without punishment. Due to the slow pace of the judicial process, more than 3.5 crore cases were pending in courts in 2019, leading to prolonged incarceration of innocent people. Cases of forced confessions and fabrication of evidence by the police are common, leading to false accusations against innocent persons. For example, Prashant Kolonge from Maharashtra was arrested on false charges of murder in 2016 and released after 5 years in 2021 after being proven innocent. In such cases, innocent people have to suffer mental, social, and economic losses. And their families also have to face a lot of problems.
Conclusion
The condition of prisoners in jail is very bad and there is a need for improvement like-
- New jails should be made then jails will not overcrowded.
- Must get good health services
- Some reforms should also be taken for those who are arrested in false cases and spend more than half of their life in jail.
Therefore, some reforms will come in the jail system.