The Kerala State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has ordered the State Government to adopt steps to decongest the overcrowded Poojappura Central Prison by operationalising the proposed jails at Konni and Nedumangad without further delay.
Observing that the Poojappura jail currently accommodated 1,350 inmates, far beyond its capacity of 727 people, commission chairman Antony Dominic directed the Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services to submit a response before December 23. The case will be taken up for further hearing on December 29. The order has also been sent to the Additional Chief Secretary (Home).
Work on prisons on
Based on a petition by social activist P.K. Raju, the commission had earlier sought information from the Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services. In his response, the officer informed the commission that prisoners were often transferred to the Poojappura Central Prison from other jails in the southern parts of the State. As part of decongesting the jail, the development of the district prisons in Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha was under way. The number of inmates at Poojappura was likely to come down with the completion of the work on the Konni and Nedumangad prisons. The proposed facility at Konni was being developed as a central prison, the report stated.
Health issues
Noting that the explanation made no mention of a deadline for the completion of the work at Konni and Nedumangad, Mr. Dominic said cramming inmates at the Poojappura jail beyond its capacity was bound to affect their mental and physical health. Besides, the situation was likely to disrupt peace and discipline at the correctional facility. Immediate steps were necessary to decongest the prison, he said.
