K e r a l P r i s o n s

The holistic health of prisoners are ensured by following the various provisions contained in the Kerala Prisons & Correctional Services Acts & Rules and the Guidelines of World Health Organization (WHO) in this regard are also followed in letter and spirit. Special emphasis are given to the rights of prisoners while implementing these provisions. Various tools are used in order to ensure correction among prisoners at different levels. Most of these are based on various therapies. Kerala Prisons & Correctional Services continuously evolves with changing times.

Physical Health
  • Arrangements have made at the departmental level to provide timely treatment to the inmates. Hospital blocks with inpatient facilities are functioning in Central Prison & Correctional Homes. The services of Medical Officer and Paramedical Staff are available in Central Prison & Correction Homes, Open Prison & Correction Homes, High Security Prisons and major District Jails. Prisoners are sent to prison hospitals and to the nearest Government Primary Health Center, Taluk Hospital and General Hospital in incidences where Jails do not have hospital facilities. Prisoners are also sent to Government Medical College Hospitals for specialist treatments. Various types of health camps are organized from time to time such as dental, ophthalmology, etc.
Mental/Psychological Health
  • Psychotherapy and counselling are provided to prisoners to ensure mental health. The blocks are equipped with facilities for enjoying FM radio and television. Prisoners are permitted to play indoor games such as carom and chess. As drug cases are increasing, drug addiction awareness and other special classes are being offered to prisoners. Correction methods such as magic therapy and art therapy are regularly offered to prisoners. Personality development programs are also conducted.
Spiritual Health
  • Religious prayers, yoga and moral classes are offered to prisoners. Inmates belongs to different religions are permitted to practice their own religion. NGOs are allowed to conduct religious prayer, meetings in Jails after scrutiny.
Social Health
  • Meetings with family members, relatives, friends, and lawyers directly as well as through video conferencing via e-Mulakhat and WhatsApp are provided to inmates. Telephone facility and correspondence through letter are also provided. Different types of leaves are allowed to ensure more interaction with community.
Occupational Health
  • Vocational training programmes are conducted to the inmates in all prisons based on land and infrastructure facilities available there. Some of the areas they are engaged in are food making, Carpentry, Masonry,  Smithy, Weaving, Tailoring, Soap Making, sawing, Book binding, Printing, Sericulture, Epiculture etc. Vocational training in agriculture, Diary etc are conducted to the inmates of Open Prisons which have larger areas of land. Training in various farming methods in agricultural sector is very beneficial to improving the mental health of prisoners.
Educational Services/ Intellectual Services
  • School facilities have been set up in all major prisons to ensure education to all inmates of Jails. The services of trained teachers are available in these schools. Library and Computer Lab facilities are also available in prisons. The study centres of Open School, Open University, Polytechnic Kerala University Continuing Education, State Literacy Mission, IGNOU are functioning in major Jails. Literacy classes and equivalency classes in 4th, 7th, 10th, +1 and +2 are being conducted to prisoners. This helps prisoners to take part in undergraduate, postgraduate and other courses. Prisoners are provided opportunities for writing and publishing article and poems in well-known publications. Manuscripts are published in Prisons to develop the artistic ability of prisoners.
Cultural Services
  • Ten important feasts are provided in Jails. Cultural functions are organized in these days in order to develop cultural ethos and thereby develop personality and inter/intra personals skills. Jail welfare days are celebrated in all prisons annually and prizes are distributed to winning prisoners who are participating in Arts and Sports competitions. FM Radio stations named 'Freedom Melody', Music Bands etc. are started in major Jails to encourage creative engagement among prisoners.
Legal Services
  • The Department of Prisons ensures legal assistance to all inmates in prisons. Under National Legal Aid Services, prisoners are provided free legal aid and conduct legal awareness programmes and classes on various legal topics at various levels through, State, District and Taluk Legal Aid Services. The service of a lawyer is provided to prisoners who are unable to hire a lawyer on their own, at free of cost through the Legal Services Authority. The services of a lawyer and a paralegal volunteer are provided to inmates in all prisons for legal aid.
Liaisoning services
  • Various welfare & development schemes for inmates are being implemented in collaboration with the Department of Social Justice, Department of Women and Child Welfare and the Women's Commission etc. Provides financial assistance to the children of convict prisoners for educational purposes in collaboration with the Department of Social Justice. Rs.3,000 to Rs 1 lakh per year is being given in this regard from nursery class students to professional course students. The Department of Social Justice provides Self-Employment Assistance Scheme for the dependents of convicts. The maximum amount of financial assistance to a family will be Rs.15,000 at a time. An amount of Rs.30000 and Rs.15000 are also being provided to prisoners under the marriage assistance scheme for prisoners' daughters and financial assistance for self-employment of ex-prisoners respectively through Social Justice Department.
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