The Gazetteers Department

There is a Central Prison at Nagpur. Casual male prisoners sen-tenced to two years and above and all women prisoners sentenced to more than one month from Chandrapur, Bhandara, Nagpur, Akola, Buldhana, Yeotmal, Amravati, Wardha and Jalgaon districts are con- fined in this prison. In Wardha district, there is one District Prison class III and two magisterial lock-ups. District Prison class III is located at Wardha while magisterial lock-ups are located at Hinganghat and Arvi.

The District Prison class III is mainly meant for confinement of short terms casual prisoners and local undertrial prisoners.

Organisation.

For the purpose of prison administration the State is divided into two divisions, viz., eastern and western. The eastern division comprises the revenue divisions of Aurangabad and Nagpur while the western division is composed of the revenue divisions of Bombay and Pune. The Inspector-General of Prisons, Maharashtra State, Pune, exercises general control and superintendence over all prisons and jails in the State subject to the orders of the State Government. The Superintendents of the Nagpur Central Prison and the Yeravada Central Prison have been appointed as the ex-officio Deputy Inspectors-General of Prisons for the eastern and western divisions, respectively. Some of the powers exercised by the Inspector-General of Prisons have been delegated to the Deputy Inspectors-General of Prisons. They are in immediate overall charge of the prisons in their respective divisions.

The Superintendent, Wardha District Prison, is vested with the executive management of the prison in all matters relating to discipline, internal economy, labour, punishment, etc., subject to the orders and authority of the Regional Deputy Inspector-General of Prisons, Eastern Region, Nagpur, and the Inspector-General of Prisons. He is assisted in his work by the necessary ministerial and field staff. 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.

Recruitment.

The post of the Inspector-General of Prisons is generally filled in by the appointment of an officer belonging to the Indian Administrative Service or by promotion from amongst those who are borne on the cadre of the Superintendent of Central Prisons (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 promoted from the ranks of Superintendents of District Prisons. The senior-most Superintendent of Central Prison is usually appointed to hold the post of the Deputy Inspector-General of Prisons in consultation with the Maharashtra State Public Service Commission. The Superintendents of District Prisons are appointed both by direct recruitment or by promotion from amongst Jailors in Grade I in proportion of 1: 2. Jailors in Grade I are appointed both by direct recruitment and departmental promotion from amongst Jailors in Grade II in proportion of 1:2. The candidates for direct recruitment to the post of a Superintendent of District Prison and for Jailor Grade I must be honours graduates. They are recommended for appointment by the State Public Service Commission. A diploma in Sociology or Penology is considered to be an additional qualification. Appointments to Jailors Grade II are made by the Inspector-General of Prisons by promotion of Jailors in Grade III. Appointments to Jailors Grade III are also made by the Inspector-General. However, 50 per cent of the posts are open to outside candidates who must necessarily be graduates, while the remaining posts are filled in by promotion of suitable departmental candidates who have passed the Secondary School Certificate examination or its equivalent examination. The candidates for appointment to the posts of Jailors Grade III are interviewed by a Selection Board consisting of the Inspector-General of Prisons and two Super-intendents of Prisons who are nominated by the Government.

Training.

The Superintendents of Prisons and Jailors receive theoretical as well as practical training in Jail Officers' Training School at Yeravada on a scientific basis in all fields of correctional work. A separate training class of three months' duration for non-commissioned officers has been started at the Jails Officers' Training School to impart practical knowledge of the duties which are expected of a jail guard.

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 jails and also to the jail guards.

Guarding Establishment.

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. It is also available to mount guard over particularly dangerous prisoner or prisoners sentenced to death who are termed as "Condemned Prisoners".

Matron.

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

Medical Officer.

No medical staff is sanctioned for headquarters sub-jails; but the Medical officer in charge of local government dispensary or the Medical Officer attached to the Zilla Parishad 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.

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 committed. They are further classified as casuals, habituals, under-trials and security or detenues. Prisoners are also grouped as short tenners, or medium termers. Headquarters sub-jails are meant for the confinement of short-term and undertrial prisoners only.

Jail Reforms.

In recent years many reforms [Report of Jail Reforms Committee appointed in 1946.] calculated to bring about the reformation of prisoners, have been introduced. With the abolition of Whipping Act, vide, Bombay Act No. XXXIX of 1957, flogging as a jail punishment is stopped altogether. Punishments of penal diet and gunny clothing have also been abolished. Rules about letters and interviews have similarly been liberalised.

Remission of Sentence.

Only long-termers come within the ambit of the rule on remission of sentence. Prisoners confined in the main prisons are granted liberal remissions which are ordinary remission, annual good conduct remission, special remission, blood donation remission, remission for conservancy work and remission for physical training. In addition, State remission is awarded by Government on the occasions of public rejoicing. It is granted unconditionally and cannot be forfeited under any circumstances.

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. 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 expe-rience, etc., and assign suitable work for newly admitted prisoners with a sentence of six months and above. Any change in the work so allotted to prisoners by the committee has to be effected only with the concurrence of the members of the committee. No such committee is appointed for short term prisoners. Land admeasuring about 10 acres adjacent to the jail premises is under cultivation and prisoners work daily on the prison farm.

Wages.

Medium term and long term prisoners, so also security and undertrial prisoners who volunteer to work, are paid one-fifth of the wages, which are paid normally for similar work outside.

Release on Parole and Furlough.

A prisoner may be released on parole in case of serious illness or death of any member of his family or his nearest relatives or for any other sufficient cause. The period spent on parole is not counted as a part of the sentence. If any prisoner is found to have misused or violated parole rules, he is liable to be punished. Prisoners with a sentence of one year and above are entitled to being released on furlough for a period of two weeks which is counted as a part of the sentence.

Board of Visitors.

A Board of Visitors composing of official and non-official visitors is appointed for every headquarters sub-jail and tahsil sub-jails. There are ordinarily six non-official visitors for headquarters sub-jail of whom three are members of Maharashtra Legislature and three are nominated by Government of which one is a lady visitor. There are two non-official visitors for each sub-jail. The appointment of non-official visitors other than members of Maharashtra Legislature is made for a period not exceeding three years. Persons who in the opinion of the Government are interested in the prison administration and are likely to take interest in the welfare of prisoners, while they are in prison and after their release, are nominated by Government on the Board of Visitors on the recommendations of the District Magistrate concerned and the Inspector-General of Prisons. The Chairman of the Board of Visitors who is usually the District Magistrate arranges for weekly visit to the prison by one of the members of the Board. Quarterly meetings of the Board are also convened. Non-official visitors are also allowed to visit the 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 of the result of the detailed inspection of the jails. Any remark at the quarterly meetings or at the weekly visits deserving special and prompt disposal is immediately forwarded by the Superintendent to the Inspector-General for necessary orders with such remarks as the former may desire to offer.

In bigger jails, a committee of prisoners is selected for each ward by the prisoners themselves, known as the Jail Panchayat Committee. The Jailor and the Superintendent consult the committee in matters of discipline and general welfare of prisoners.

Education.

Literacy classes are conducted for those prisoners who are ignorant of the three R's 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 jails by the Deputy Educational Inspectors. Towards these literacy classes, the Jail department receives grant-in-aid from Education department. Twenty-five per cent of the grant-in-aid received is given to the convict teachers as an encouragement after the quarterly examinations of the students (prisoners) are held and the remaining portion is utilised towards the purchase of books, boards, etc., required for the literacy classes. Films of educational and reformative values are also exhibited by the District or the Regional Publicity Officer concerned.

Facilities such as, letters and interviews, library books, newspapers, legal aid, etc. are provided to the prisoners. One moral lecturer has been appointed to give moral lectures to prisoners on Sundays and jail holidays.

Welfare of Prisoners.

Matters pertaining to the welfare of prisoners are attended to by the prison officers as per rules. Emphasis is laid on the maintenance of good discipline in the prison. Positive and constructive discipline is treated as the basic foundation for bringing about wholesome changes in the attitudes of prisoners.

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