Bhubaneswar: The state government has asked district collectors to promptly constitute boards of visitors (BOVs), consisting members of the government and non-government officials, to inspect jails.
Although the Supreme Court had in September 2017 asked all states to form separate BOVs for jails, a number of districts in Odisha are yet to comply with the directive. Hearing a petition on the inhuman conditions in different prisons in the country, the Supreme Court had made it mandatory for states to form two separate BOVs for each jail. One board would consist of government officials headed by the district collector and the other would have non-government officials.
The state has 90 jails. Currently, only 14 jails have both BOVs, while 23 others have only the non-official BOV.
On February 12, the prisons directorate drew the attention of the state home department to the delay by some districts in complying with the Supreme Court’s directive. Subsequently, the home department asked the collectors to immediately notify lists of official and non-official BOVs.
DGP (prisons) Santosh Upadhyay said the BOV members could conduct surprise inspection in the jails. “The visitors will interact with the inmates and note down their complaints or grievances. The visitors will check the security, hygiene and food quality in jails. They can suggest reforms and welfare measures for prisoners,” Upadhyay said.
In tune with the state government’s 5T formula in governance, Upadhyay said efforts were being made for the expeditious completion of e-prisons system in the state. “We are working on database linking between courts and jails under the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS). It will show details of undertrial prisoners, convicts and their previous criminal antecedents,” Upadhyay said.
The prisons DGP said steps were also being taken to introduce technological innovation in jails through installation of CCTV cameras and procurement of mobile phone trackers. “We have asked jail superintendents to maintain transparency in procurement and quality monitoring of food materials. Surprise joints raids will be regularly conducted by police, jail personnel and magistrates,” he said.
Although the Supreme Court had in September 2017 asked all states to form separate BOVs for jails, a number of districts in Odisha are yet to comply with the directive. Hearing a petition on the inhuman conditions in different prisons in the country, the Supreme Court had made it mandatory for states to form two separate BOVs for each jail. One board would consist of government officials headed by the district collector and the other would have non-government officials.
The state has 90 jails. Currently, only 14 jails have both BOVs, while 23 others have only the non-official BOV.
On February 12, the prisons directorate drew the attention of the state home department to the delay by some districts in complying with the Supreme Court’s directive. Subsequently, the home department asked the collectors to immediately notify lists of official and non-official BOVs.
DGP (prisons) Santosh Upadhyay said the BOV members could conduct surprise inspection in the jails. “The visitors will interact with the inmates and note down their complaints or grievances. The visitors will check the security, hygiene and food quality in jails. They can suggest reforms and welfare measures for prisoners,” Upadhyay said.
In tune with the state government’s 5T formula in governance, Upadhyay said efforts were being made for the expeditious completion of e-prisons system in the state. “We are working on database linking between courts and jails under the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS). It will show details of undertrial prisoners, convicts and their previous criminal antecedents,” Upadhyay said.
The prisons DGP said steps were also being taken to introduce technological innovation in jails through installation of CCTV cameras and procurement of mobile phone trackers. “We have asked jail superintendents to maintain transparency in procurement and quality monitoring of food materials. Surprise joints raids will be regularly conducted by police, jail personnel and magistrates,” he said.
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