Disturbing Conditions for Female Prisoners in India Revealed in Recent Report

In a recent revelation, a committee led by Justice Amitava Roy and appointed by the Supreme Court has shed light on the dire living conditions experienced by women prisoners in India.

 

Key Findings

 

1. Gender Bias in the Justice System: The report has identified a clear gender bias within the correctional justice system, labeling it as "undeniably gender-exclusionary."

 

2. Surging Female Prisoner Population: Between 2014 and 2019, India witnessed a distressing 11% increase in the female prisoner population.

 

3. Challenges Confronted by Women: Women inmates face greater hurdles compared to men when seeking access to basic necessities such as medical care, legal assistance, employment opportunities, and recreational activities.

 

4. Limited Contact with Children: Only prisons in Goa, Delhi, and Puducherry allow female prisoners to meet their children without barriers or glass partitions.

 

5. Sanitary Napkin Availability: Shockingly, fewer than 40% of Indian prisons provide sanitary napkins to female inmates.

 

6. Shared Facilities: Approximately 75% of female wards in prisons compel women to share kitchens and communal facilities with male wards.

 

7. Scarcity of Exclusive Women’s Prisons: A mere 18% of female prisoners are allocated facilities within dedicated women's prisons.

 

8. Co-Lodging: Women prisoners, including both undertrials and convicts, are accommodated together in the same wards and barracks.

 

9. Lack of Gender-Specific Training: Matrons lack training in conducting gender-specific searches of women inmates.

 

10. Complaint Mechanisms for Abuse: Women inmates can register complaints against jail staff for abuse or harassment in only 10 states and 1 union territory.

 

11. Inadequate Medical and Psychiatric Wards: Prisons lack separate medical and psychiatric wards tailored to the specific needs of female inmates.

 

12. Child Delivery Facilities: Basic minimum facilities for childbirth within prisons are inadequate.

 

13. Shortage of Healthcare Professionals: There is a severe shortage of healthcare professionals trained to address the gender-specific healthcare requirements of female inmates.

 

Recommendations by the Committee

 

1. Reducing Violence among Prisoners

 

   - The Committee on Prison Reforms has suggested mandatory segregation of undertrials, convicts, and first-time offenders within correctional facilities. This segregation should apply during court appearances, hospital visits, and other relevant instances.

 

   - To enhance prisoner well-being, prison administrations should actively implement national and state health insurance schemes like the Ayushman Bharat scheme and Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme within correctional facilities.

 

   - The committee has emphasized the importance of establishing a robust grievance redressal mechanism, enabling prisoners to effectively register their complaints.

 

2. Expediting Trials

 

   - Overcrowding in prisons is primarily due to the undertrial population. To alleviate this issue, the committee recommends the creation of special fast-track courts dedicated to addressing minor offenses and cases pending for five years or more.

 

   - District and sessions judges should be tasked with regularly monitoring the progress of cases involving accused individuals in custody for more than one year in session triable cases and more than six months in magistrate triable cases.

 

3. Utilizing Video Conferencing

 

   - To streamline legal proceedings, the committee advocates for the use of video conferencing whenever possible, especially for the production of senior citizens and sick prisoners in courts.

 
4. Preventing Suicides

 

   - In response to an increase in suicide cases by hanging, the panel recommends the construction of suicide-proof barracks using collapsible materials to prevent such tragic incidents.