Officials' Apathy Clips Hopes of home for Women Jailbirds

By J Shanmugha Sundaram

Published: 18th May 2015

VELLORE: 

Several inmates of the special prison for women here are languishing for years as officials have reportedly denied them leave to visit their families. Though there are rules that allow convicts to spend a specific number of days with their families, the apathy of officials keeps them behind bars thus creating a negative impact and often driving them to depression.

According to a source, the Tamil Nadu Suspension of Sentence Rules (TNSSR) 1982, which gives paramount importance to the welfare of convicts, is rarely put into use by the prison administration. The rules allow prisoners to avail 15 days of emergency leave four times a year (six days in first spell and three each in the remaining spells). Prisoners are allowed to attend emergencies like serious illness and death or marriage of blood relatives. Superintendent of the respective central prison is the sanctioning authority after a proper verification report is submitted by the probation officer.

A prisoner who completes three years of imprisonment can avail ordinary leave for a month. It can be availed once in two years. DIG of Prisons is the competent authority to grant permission and such leave can be availed for repairing of homes, admitting wards in schools or colleges, agriculture harvest, and settlement of property issues. But not all prisoners are eligible for such leave. Those sentenced under section 392 to 402 of the IPC, those whose presence is considered dangerous or prejudicial to public peace and tranquillity, and those involved in prison offences will not be considered for the leave, according to the rules.

“The provision was designed for the welfare of convicts. The number of women prisoners who went on such leave in the last three years is not more than five,” said an official.

Citing safety and security reasons, the prison administration does not allow women convicts to go on leave.

“A few want to use the leave option to step out of the prison for a few days, there is no one to receive them as they are disowned by their families. But the main reason is that officials still have the conservative mindset that prison is the place to quarantine convicts and keep them alive,” the source said.

Though officials claimed that a few inmates were sent on leave in the last three years, they refused to disclose the number of convicts who have benefited from the leave provision.