Staff shortage hits reforms in Kerala jails

KOZHIKODE: The prison department in the state is loftily known as Kerala Prisons and Correctional Services Department. However, the noble intention behind the concept is lost, because the overcrowded prisons do not have sufficient staff. Top officials from the prisons department confirmed that there should be at least double the current staff strength to carry out their plans.

The planned staff strength was 1:6 (one official for six prisoners), but this did not take into account the officers' casual leave, weekly offs and other duties in jails. Also not considered was the 24-hour duty of the officers, say officials. “When one factors in eight hours a day for every officer, we need at least three batches. An officer should be given at least one weekly off, apart from the casual leave they are eligible for. There are also other office duties, along with manning the inmates, which is the primary duty,” said Sivadas K. Thaiparambil Prisons DIG, North zone.

While the number of remand prisoners was 4703 and convicted prisoners was 2670, the number of available staff was only 1239 in prisons across the state. He added that the criteria for appointments to the department was archaic and needed to be revisited. “We plan many reform programmes including yoga classes, music classes, religious ministries, agriculture programmes etc. for the inmates. However, in reality, guarding prisoners is the most important task and we do not have enough force for that. How can reforms be carried out in the absence of enough staff?” asks the DIG. In effect, reforms are on paper and in the policies of the department.