NHRC’s initiatives on Prison Reforms



Chairperson NHRC, Justice J.S.Verma, today called for more sensitivity on part of the Judges across the country to make prison reforms effective. More than 70 percent of prisoners of the jails in the country, are undertrial and most of them have been undertrial for years. Most of them are in jails for no good reason. He was speaking at a seminar on ‘Prison Reforms’ organised by the National Human Rights Commission in collaboration the National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences.

The Chairperson called for intervention of judges to utilise the provisions of bail and thus lessen the over crowding in jails by a great extent. "Many persons enter the prisons as undergraduates in crime, by the time they leave they are doctorates". Justice Verma exhorted all wings of the criminal justice system to find the solution to the human rights violation of undertrial.

Speaking about the National Human Rights Commission, the Chairperson said that its role was to improve the quality of governance of authority and public functionaries, and indicate the areas of inefficiency. NHRC ‘s role is complementary to the judiciary. But it is not a Court – the Commission can only make recommendation for acceptation and implementation. "The rule of law contemplates laying down of broad principles of governance. But there should be and area of discretion with in which the authority – public functionary should act".

NHRC has been focussing its attention on the promotion and protection of human rights of prisoners, from its inception. The Commission has issued instructions/guidelines that mentally ill person should not be kept in prison and if during jail inspection by the Commission, mentally ill persons are found in the prison it would award compensation to them or to their kin. The State government could recover such compensation from the erring jail officials. The Commission has also written to Chief Justices of all High Courts, for effecting speedy trials of cases and release of undertrials and to give appropriate instruction to district and Sessions Judges to ensure that they visit jails regularly as is envisages in the State Prison Manuals. Again the Commission has issued instruction to all prison authorities requiring compulsory health screening of all prisoners and sending monthly report to the Commission. The issues of premature release of prisoners undergoing life imprisonment have also been taken up by the Commission.

The seminar was attended by the Inspectors General of Prisons and Districts and Sessions Judges from the States of Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Dr. Kiran Bedi, Joint Commissioner of Police, Delhi, Shri Ajay Agarwal, DG (Prisons) Delhi, Shri Chaman Lal, Shri Sankar Sen, Shri P.S. Bawa and other dignitaries addressed the gathering. The Valedictory address was given by Shri Sudarshan Agarwal, Member, NHRC.