Crackdown on contraband: Jail staff to be rewarded for tip-offs

Jaipur: In a bid to curb smuggling and other unlawful practices within jails, the prisoner directorate has issued directives to reward prison staff for reporting illegal activities, with special promotions on the table for those providing critical information. The orders, approved by director general of prisons Govind Gupta on March 29, aim to empower lower-level staff while ensuring accountability and transparency in the system.
The move comes amid concerns that guards and other staff often hesitate to report prohibited activities—such as the possession of mobile phones and other contraband—due to fear of retaliation or lack of confidence in the system. The order stated that it is often observed that guards or head guards are aware of illegal activities, such as the presence of prohibited items, but due to various reasons, they are unable to act on this information or provide it at the appropriate level.
It is also clear that when departmental or police action is taken regarding these activities, the responsibility is first placed on lower-level employees or officers, who then face strict action. It is evident that if lower-level staff members have confidence in the confidentiality, their safety, and effective action on the information they provide, there can be effective control over these activities.
"Therefore, it is essential to encourage and assure prison guards and head guards to ensure effective action on information about these undesirable activities in jails," the order states. The officials also said that any staffer who provides such illegal information to the director general of prisons, either by appearing in person or through other means, will be rewarded if the information is found to be accurate. "For highly important information, special promotion proposals for such guards or head guards may also be considered," the order stated.
The security inside the prison complex has been under scrutiny due to repeated incidents of mobile phones being found inside prison wards and alleged involvement of staffers. On Sunday, two jail warders were dismissed and one suspended after they were found helping inmates smuggle mobile phones, SIM cards, chargers, tobacco, and other banned items into prison facilities. The jail department has warned of stern action against employees found smuggling such items into jails, following threat calls made to top politicians, including chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, by inmates. "A prison audit will also take place of important prison compounds across the state to find loopholes and to correct them," said an official.