LAW, ORDER AND JUSTICE

THE JAIL DEPARTMENT.

Location of Jails.

THERE IS NEITHER A CENTRAL NOR A DISTRICT JAIL IN SATARA DISTRICT. AS such, habitual prisoners convicted and sentenced for a term exceeding three months are sent to Sangli District Prison and to Nasik Road Central Prison. Central prisoners sentenced over two years are sent to Yeravda Central Prison; and short term prisoner of the district with sentences ranging from one week to a month are accommodated in the taluka subsidiary jails which are located at Dahiwadi, Karad, Khandala, Koregaon, Mahabaleshwar, Medha, Patan, Vaduj and Wai.

These sub-jails are classified as class III sub-jails and are administered by the Revenue Department. The sub-jails at Phaltan and Satara are class II Head-quarter sub-jails. The Satara sub-jail is in charge of a Jailor-cum-Superintendent. The Phaltan sub-jail is in charge of a revenue officer. The police lock-ups in the district are under the direct control of the Inspector-General of Police.

Organisation.

The Inspector-General of Prisons exercises, subject to the orders of the State Government, general control and superintendence of all prisons and jails in the State. He is assisted by Deputy Inspector General, Personal Assistant, Superintendent of Jail Industries and other office staff.

The executive officer in charge of a central or district prison is the Superintendent who is vested with the executive management of the prison in all matters relating to internal economy, discipline, labour, punishment and control, generally subject to the orders and authority of the Inspector-General. Under him are subordinate executive officers (like Deputy Superintendents, Jailors, Subhedars, etc.) and ministerial subordinates. In addition there are other subordinates (like medical officer, compounders, nursing orderly, etc) also at each one of the central and district prisons in the State. The convict officers (i.e. prisoners promoted to the ranks of convict overseers and night watchmen under the jail rules) assist the jail guards in their executive duties. The services of well behaved convict overseers are being utilised now for doing patrolling duty outside the sleeping barracks but inside the jail at night time. The main wall and the outer yards are always manned for duty by the guarding staff.

Recruitment.

The post of the Inspector-General is generally filled in by the appointment of an I.C.S. or I.A.S. officer or by promotion from amongst those who are borne on the cadre of the Superintendent of Central Prison (i.e.. including the holder of the post of the Deputy Inspector-General or by transfer of a suitable officer in Maharashtra Medical Service, Class I, or by direct recruitment). The Superintendents of central prisons are officers promoted from the ranks of Superintendents of District Prisons. The senior-most Superintendent of a central prison is usually appointed to hold the post of Deputy Inspector-General after consulting the Public Service Commission. The Superintendents of district prisons are appointed both by direct recruitment or by promotion from amongst Jailors Grade-I in the proportion of 1: 2. Jailors in Grade-I are also appointed both by direct recruitment and by departmental promotion in the proportion of 1:2. The candidates for direct recruitment to the post of Superintendent of a district prison and/or Jailor Grade-I must be honours graduates and they are recommended for appointment by the State Public Service Commission. A diploma in Sociology or Penology is an additional qualification. Appointments to Grade-II are made by the Inspector-General, by promotion of Jailors Grade-III and appointments to Grade III are made by the Inspector-General, fifty per cent, of which are by nomination from amongst candidates from outside who are necessarily required to be graduates and the other fifty per cent. of the appointments are given to suitable departmental men who have passed the Matriculation Examination or its other equivalent examination. The candidates for appointment to the post of Jailor Grade-III are interviewed by a selection board consisting of the Inspector-General and two Superintendents of prisons who are nominated by the Government. The posts of sepoys are filled in by direct recruitment and the higher posts from the guarding establishment are generally filled in by promotion according to seniority but if suitable persons according to seniority are not available, appointments to the posts in higher grade are made by selection from amongst the members of the next lower ranks or by nomination of candidates with some high academic qualifications which are fixed for each post in high grade, individually.

Appointments to the posts of junior clerks are made by nomination from amongst candidates who must have passed the Matriculation Examination or its equivalent. Appointments to the ministerial posts in higher grade are made by promotion generally according to seniority from amongst the members of the next lower rank. Medical Officers are drafted for service in jail department for a period of two years from the Medical department.

Training.

The Superintendents of Prisons and Jails receive theoretical as well as practical training in Jail Officer's Training School, at Yeravda, on a scientific basis in all fields of correctional work. A comprehensive training programme in correctional administration has been prescribed and a vocational course of training has been chalked out which is designed to meet with the actual requirements of jail guards in discharging their daily duties satisfactorily.

An accounts test has also been prescribed for Gazetted and non-Gazetted superior staff of the Jail Department (i.e. Superintendents, Jailors, Stewards, Clerks, etc.). The examination is conducted by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission, for Superintendents (including Superintendent of Jail Industries), Jailors in Grade-I and II and for members of the clerical cadre from senior clerk onwards and by the Inspector-General of Prisons for Jailors Grade-III, junior clerks and technical staff.

A physical training instructor visits the jails in the State in rotation and imparts training in drill, games, and other physical activities both to the inmates of the jail and also to the jail guards.

Guarding Establishment.

Thus due care is taken to see that every jail officer and every Jail subordinate gets an adequate opportunity to acquaint himself with the theoretical as well as practical sides of his duties, so that he can discharge them quite satisfactorily. The training programme has in fact gained an important place in the jail administration which aims at reformation.

Part of the guarding establishment is armed. This section serves as a reserve guard to reinforce the unarmed guards in the immediate charge of prisoners inside the prison or in extramural gangs in the event of assault, mutiny escape or other emergency. One or more jail guards are deputed at head-quarter sub-jails from the nearest Central, District or Special Prisons. The period of deputation does not usually exceed three years without obtaining specific sanction of the Inspector-General. They are assigned from time to time immediate charge of such prisoners and of such parts of the prison as the jailor under the orders of the Superintendent may direct.

Medical Officer.

No medical staff is sanctioned for head-quarter sub-jails but the Maharashtra Medical Service Officer in charge of the local Government dispensary or the medical officer attached to the local Board or Municipal dispensary stationed at or nearest to the place where the sub-jail is situated is deemed to be the medical officer of the jail. He receives no extra pay for the jail duty but is entitled to an allowance of Rs. 15 or Rs. 20 per month if the daily average number of prisoners in the jail exceeds 40 or 80 respectively. He has to visit the sub-jail regularly at least twice a week and also at such other time as he may be sent for to attend cases of serious illness or to examine newly admitted prisoners. A small stock of medicines is always kept in sub-jail office to treat minor cases and serious cases are transferred to the local Government dispensary for treatment.

Matrons.

No posts of matrons are sanctioned for head-quarter sub-jails but the Superintendent is empowered to engage a matron locally whenever a woman prisoner is admitted to jail.

Classification of Prisoners.

Prisoners are classified as Class I or Class II by the Court after taking into consideration their status in society and also the nature of the offence. They are further classified as casuals, habituals, undertrials, and security or detenus. There is no separate class of " political prisoners " but certain rules which do not allow the grant of facilities and privileges on the scope of length of sentence are relaxed in their favour under the specific orders of Government. Prisoners are also grouped as short termers, medium termers and long termers. Prisoners with a sentence up to three months are classed as short termers, those sentenced to three months and above but up to two years are classified as medium termers and those sentenced to two years and above as long termers. The short termers are given deterrent treatment while in the case of medium and long termers paramount importance is given to the reformation of the prisoner. Head-quarter sub-jails are meant for the confinement of short term prisoners and undertrial prisoners only.

Jail Reforms.

A Jail Reform Committee was appointed by Government in 1946 and in their report published in August 1947, the committee made several recommendations to Government calculated to conduce to the reformation of the prisoner and Government accepted many of those recommendations. The rules for the treatment have been liberalised. The regulations regarding corporal punishment have been tightened and whipping as a jail punishment is now to be awarded in exceptionally few cases after obtaining prior sanction of Government. Punishments of penal diet and gunny clothing have been abolished. Rules about letters and interviews have also been liberalised.

Remission of Sentence.

The rules for the grant of remission of sentences apply to long termers only. Since only short-termers are confined to the Jails of Satara these rules are not detailed here.

Work.

Work is arranged according to the prisoner's health. On admission the prisoner is examined by the medical officer who classifies him as fit for light, medium or hard labour. A work allotment committee is constituted for central and district jails, the members of which have to take into account health conditions of the prisoners, their aptitude, past experience, etc., and assign suitable work for newly admitted prisoners with a sentence of six months and above. Any changes in the work so allotted to prisoners by the committee have to be effected only with the concurrence of the members of the committee. No such committee is to be appointed for short term prisoners.

Payment of Wages.

Long and medium term prisoners, so also security and undertrial prisoners who volunteer to work are paid 1/5th of the wages, which are paid normally for similar work outside provided they complete their daily quota of task to the satisfaction of the authorities concerned.

Canteen.

Jail Canteens have been opened in main Jails only where eatables, drinks, fruits etc., are sold to prisoners out of their earnings. The canteen thus serves as an incentive to prisoners to work and earn wages. Profits accruing from canteen transactions are utilised for the purchase of radios, books and other articles to promote the welfare of the prisoners.

Release on parole and furlough.

A prisoner may be released on parole in cases of serious illness or death of any member of his family or his nearest relative or for any other sufficient cause. The period spent on parole will not count as part of the sentence.

Welfare of Prisoners.

 Board of Visitors.

The prisoner who desires to be released on parole has to submit his application to the Jail Superintendent who has to endorse his remarks thereon and submit one copy thereof direct to Government and one copy to the Inspector-General of Prisons along with the nominal roll of the prisoner concerned. Prisoners who apply for parole on false grounds or who abuse the concession or commit breaches of any of the conditions of parole are liable to be punished. . Enquiries as regards genuineness or otherwise of the grounds advanced in the application are made through the local revenue and police officers.

Prisoners with a sentence of one year and above are entitled to being released on furlough for a period of two weeks which will be counted as part of sentence.

A Board of Visitors composing official and non-official visitors is appointed for every headquarter sub-jail and taluka sub-jails. There are ordinarily four non-official visitors for headquarter sub-jails out of which two are the members of the Maharashtra Legislature and two are nominated by Government of whom one is a lady visitor. The appointment of non-official visitors other than members of the Maharashtra Legislature is made for a period not exceeding three years. Persons who in the opinion of Government are interested in the prison administration and are likely to take interest in the welfare of prisoners both while they are in prison and after their release are nominated by Government on the Board of Visitors on the recommendation of the District Magistrate concerned and Inspector-General of Prisons. The Chairman of the Board of Visitors who is usually the District Magistrate arranges for a weekly visit to the prison by one of the members of the Board. Quarterly meetings of the whole board are convened. Non-Official visitors are also allowed to visit prison on any day at any time during the day in addition to the weekly visit arranged by the Chairman. The board records in the Visitor's Book its observations on the result of the detailed inspection of the jails. Any remark at the quarterly meeting or at the weekly visits deserving special and prompt disposal is immediately forwarded by the Superintendent to the Inspector-General for necessary orders. Other remarks made by the visitors and the quarterly committee of visitors are forwarded immediately after the end of the month by the Superintendent to the Inspector-General with such remarks as he may desire to offer.

Jail Panchayat Committee.

In bigger jails a committee of prisoners is selected for each yard and by the prisoners themselves, and the jailor and the Superintendent consult the committee which is known in jail parlance as "Jail Panchayat Committee " in matters of discipline and general welfare of prisoners.

Education.

Literacy classes are conducted for those prisoners who are ignorant of reading, writing and arithmetic, under the supervision of literate convicts and paid teachers who are appointed only at some of the main jails in the State. Regular annual examinations are held in the jail by the Deputy Educational Inspectors. As remuneration for conducting literacy classes in jail an amount is received as grant-in-aid from the Education Department, 25 per cent. of which is given to the convict teachers as an encouragement after the quarterly examinations of the students (prisoners) are held and the rest of the amount is utilised towards the purchase of books, boards, etc., required for the literacy classes. Films on educational and reformative values are also exhibited by the District Regional Publicity Officer concerned.

Vocational Training and Recreation.

Utmost precautions are taken in treating the prisoners suffering from various diseases and jail hospitals are equipped with all possible requirements. Special types of diseases are attended to with due care and all possible measures are taken against the spread of epidemics and contagious diseases.

The daily routine extends from 5-15 a.m. to 9-30 p.m. The actual working hours are from 8-15 a.m. to 10-45 a.m. and 11-45 a.m. to 4-15 p.m. (i.e. 7 hours in all) and other parts of routine include time for meditation, congregational prayers, physical training, games, social engagements, talks, singing of devotional songs, education classes and reading of newspapers and books. Central and District Prisons in the State have extensive factories comprising various sections (viz. textile, carpentry, smithy, mochi, etc.). Prisoners in headquarter sub-jails are employed in gardens attached to the jail prison and in other services (viz. sweeping of barracks, kitchen, conservancy, etc.) and on works like manufacture of narrow tape, cot tape, etc.

The authorised accommodation and the daily average population of the headquarter sub-jail at Satara and Phaltan for the year 1957 was as under:—

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