Jail conditions remain poor despite inmates’ uproar over a teacup last year
Authorities said lack of funds has hindered plans to add new facilities.
HYDERABAD:
The Hyderabad Central Jail has erupted in riots at least two times in the past two years, sometimes over just a cup of tea, but jail authorities have yet to improve living conditions inside the prison.
A recent inspection report indicated that the authorities have failed to do much to pacify the inmates and address the problems that led to the riots, in which at least eight people were killed.
The first storm erupted in March 2011. The inmates, who felt they were being mistreated, became unruly after they did not get their morning cups of tea. The living conditions failed to improve and the inmates stirred up trouble again on July 13 this year.
On the apex court’s orders, district and sessions judge Hassan Feroze visited the prison on November 2 and compiled an inspection report in which he painted a bleak picture of the conditions under which the inmates are forced to live. Certain factors which led to the riots have yet to be taken care of. The inmates are upset that visiting hours are either not allowed or allowed only for short periods, the poor quality of food, a dearth of health facilities and the misbehavior of wardens.
According to the report, 204 undertrial prisoners, out of the 792 at the jail, are not being presented at the hearings. On November 2, the prison was housing 171 inmates more than its capacity of 1,527. These include 755 convicts and 13 foreigners, in addition to the undertrial prisoners. Three convicts who have completed their sentence have not been set free because they could not pay fines, which can go up to Rs250,000.
The report refutes former superintendent Pir Shabbir Jan Sarhindi’s claims that there has been a drastic improvement in the facilities being provided to the prisoners, including telephone and video conference services.
Jail administration defends itself
The prison administration said they partly agree with the findings but they are not entirely to blame for the shortcomings. Dr Pir Manzoor Ali, who heads the jail hospital, said they are understaffed and underfunded. “We have an operation theatre as well as other facilities, such as ultrasound and dental surgery, but there are no doctors.”
He added that there are only nine people, including four doctors, who provide health services for up to 1,800 prisoners. “With such a small staff, we have to manage three daily shifts of eight hours each.” Add to this the fact that each staff member gets two days off a week. Dr Ali also complained about a shortage of medicines. He said he rang up the office of the inspector general of prisons many times but to no avail.
The central jail has only two vans to transport prisoners, said an official, adding that this is why undertrial prisoners have not been taken to court. “We depend on the district police to give us vehicles and personnel for taking prisoners to hearings.” He said that the administration had asked the authorities for more vehicles and personnel, but this has not yielded any results. Another official claimed that Rs120 million have been approved for the purchase of vans and installation of CCTV cameras in Hyderabad’s prisons, but the equipment has not been set up.
DIG Jails Gulzar Channar and Jail Superintendent Shuja Hyder could not be contacted for their reactions to the judicial report.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 18th, 2012.
The Hyderabad Central Jail has erupted in riots at least two times in the past two years, sometimes over just a cup of tea, but jail authorities have yet to improve living conditions inside the prison.
A recent inspection report indicated that the authorities have failed to do much to pacify the inmates and address the problems that led to the riots, in which at least eight people were killed.
The first storm erupted in March 2011. The inmates, who felt they were being mistreated, became unruly after they did not get their morning cups of tea. The living conditions failed to improve and the inmates stirred up trouble again on July 13 this year.
On the apex court’s orders, district and sessions judge Hassan Feroze visited the prison on November 2 and compiled an inspection report in which he painted a bleak picture of the conditions under which the inmates are forced to live. Certain factors which led to the riots have yet to be taken care of. The inmates are upset that visiting hours are either not allowed or allowed only for short periods, the poor quality of food, a dearth of health facilities and the misbehavior of wardens.
According to the report, 204 undertrial prisoners, out of the 792 at the jail, are not being presented at the hearings. On November 2, the prison was housing 171 inmates more than its capacity of 1,527. These include 755 convicts and 13 foreigners, in addition to the undertrial prisoners. Three convicts who have completed their sentence have not been set free because they could not pay fines, which can go up to Rs250,000.
The report refutes former superintendent Pir Shabbir Jan Sarhindi’s claims that there has been a drastic improvement in the facilities being provided to the prisoners, including telephone and video conference services.
Jail administration defends itself
The prison administration said they partly agree with the findings but they are not entirely to blame for the shortcomings. Dr Pir Manzoor Ali, who heads the jail hospital, said they are understaffed and underfunded. “We have an operation theatre as well as other facilities, such as ultrasound and dental surgery, but there are no doctors.”
He added that there are only nine people, including four doctors, who provide health services for up to 1,800 prisoners. “With such a small staff, we have to manage three daily shifts of eight hours each.” Add to this the fact that each staff member gets two days off a week. Dr Ali also complained about a shortage of medicines. He said he rang up the office of the inspector general of prisons many times but to no avail.
The central jail has only two vans to transport prisoners, said an official, adding that this is why undertrial prisoners have not been taken to court. “We depend on the district police to give us vehicles and personnel for taking prisoners to hearings.” He said that the administration had asked the authorities for more vehicles and personnel, but this has not yielded any results. Another official claimed that Rs120 million have been approved for the purchase of vans and installation of CCTV cameras in Hyderabad’s prisons, but the equipment has not been set up.
DIG Jails Gulzar Channar and Jail Superintendent Shuja Hyder could not be contacted for their reactions to the judicial report.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 18th, 2012.