Panaji: A Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) team recommended several improvements for Colvale Central Jail, including mobile jammers, functional CCTVs, international calling facilities, and adequate female medical staff.
The team, headed by acting chairperson and member, Desmond D’Costa and member, Pramod Kamat visited the jail on Oct 24 to inform inmates of their human rights. The team also visited some of the cells of undertrials to listen to their grievances.
The commission found the jail in a dilapidated condition and in “urgent need of repairs and painting”. Toilets lacking doors in both male and female blocks, the team said, was a privacy violation and required immediate attention. The issue of foreigners remaining in jail after acquittal or after undergoing conviction was also raised. Foreign inmates complained about delays in forwarding their requests for visas to their embassies.
The team found no female medical officer for women inmates and stated, “The prison administration should take steps to get at least one lady medical officer posted in the jail, and two nurses; one male and one female.”
Women undertrials complained of not being allowed to bring their clothes when they are brought to the jail for the first time by the police. The commission recommended permitting this, stating, “Also the jail administration needs to provide undertrials with adequate clothes for their use to safeguard their human dignity.”
GHRC also recommended that jail authorities take steps to resolve issues of lack of escorts for producing undertrials in courts for hearings, and inmates also said they want to attend court hearings personally so that they have an opportunity to instruct their advocates. They also said escorts were needed when they seek medical attention
The commission noted that there is no international dialling facility for foreigners and recommended that jail authorities expedite setting up the facility. The commission found no proper drinking water facilities in cells and asked the administration to have water coolers installed and also provided hot water facilities.
Jail authorities were urged to swiftly address the mosquito problem by installing netted windows. The commission also recommended to immediately operationalise the non-functional hospital block.
The commission recommended that jail authorities provide inward acknowledgment for letters by inmates. The recommendation report will be sent to the inspector general of prisons for follow-up and an action taken report within 60 days.