Neha Shukla, Nov 19, 2010, 05.20am IST
LUCKNOW: Jails in Uttar Pradesh have a problem of plenty. Such is the
state of overcrowding that most of the prisons have to adjust a number
that is more than double the capacity. According to a response from
the prisons department to an RTI query, the total population at 60
prisons of the state is 83,805 against the authorised capacity of
44,439.
In response to an RTI query by an applicant Urvashi Sharma, the
department of jail administration and reform services has revealed
that the rate of overcrowding in the state prisons is 1.89. As per the
information, in some of the prisons, occupancy was almost double the
sanctioned strength. The prison reforms scheme of the MHA could not be
meeting its purpose in UP.
Not only this, department said it has "nil information" about details
of actions taken by state government in the past five years to
scrutinise status of all prisoners.
The applicant on October 4, 2009 had sent an RTI query to the PIO, the
state's home department, seeking a four-point information. She had
sought information about names of all prisons in UP along with their
designated capacity and actual number of prisoners housed therein.
She also sought prison-wise list containing names of all convicts who
are serving time in prisons despite serving their decreed term of
sentence of courts. She has requested for certified copies of rules,
GOs, jail manuals and government circulars as per which a convict can
be kept in jail beyond his conviction period.
The query also fetched a letter bearing signature of AK Panda, Police
DIG (Jails), Meerut Zone which states that two convicts are serving
prison terms despite completing their sentences decreed by
court.Prisons being a state subject, its management and administration
falls
exclusively in the domain of state governments. States have the
primary role, responsibility and authority to change the current
prison laws, rules and regulations. However, KB Joshi, research
officer, department of jail administration and reform services, sought
more time to provide rest of the information on reforms in state
prisons.
The high occupancy rate in UP jails has always been a concern. A 2004
report, 'Children of Women Prisoners in Jails: A Study in UP',
sponsored by Planning Commission and compiled by Pandit Govind Ballabh
Pant Institute of Studies in Rural Development showed 149.1% occupancy
rate for 61 jails of the state till December 2000. The effective
capacity of the jails was 33,468 and actual population stood at
49,885.
--
Urvashi Sharma
RTI Helpmail( Web Based )
aishwaryaj2010@gmail.com
Mobile Rti Helpline
8081898081 ( 8 A.M. to 10 P.M. )
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