Stating that jail administration is also an important part of the internal security of the country and we cannot ignore it, Union Home and Cooperation Minister, Amit Shah said that there is also a need to change the way prisons are seen by society.
Inaugurating the 6th All India Prison Duty Meet at Kankaria, Ahmedabad, he said that if there is no punishment then there will be no fear, if there is no fear then there will be no discipline and if there is no discipline then we cannot imagine a healthy society. Therefore, he said that the process of punishment is very important, but it is also the responsibility of the jail administration that if someone is not a criminal by nature or habit, then they should become the medium to reintroduce all such prisoners to the society.
Amit Shah said that from among those who are punished. 90 percent are those whose rehabilitation in society is very important, not only from the human point of view, but also from the law and order point of view. He said there are going to be many types of competitions inside this meeting which will lead to the process of rehabilitation of prison administration staff and officials.
He said this important Prison Meet will not only promote sportsmanship in a positive way but also the prison administration will be benefited by the interaction and exchange of successful experiences between the participants during their three-day stay here.
He recalled that a model Jail Manual was brought in 2016 in place of the old Jail Manual after a very comprehensive review. He said that only 11 States and Union Territories have adopted this jail manual. He said the Model Jail Manual contains several remedial points and emphasizes on computerization in prisons to bring about basic uniformity in Human Rights, reformed rehabilitation of prisoners and rules and regulations.
It has special provisions for the rights of women prisoners along with aftercare facilities, good scientific manuals for prison inspections, rights of death row prisoners and many good provisions have also been made for staff involved in prison reforms, he added.
