Kerala prisons overcrowded, judicial panel recommends new jail and relocation of old ones

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A committee headed by retired Kerala High Court judge Justice C.N. Ramachandran Nair has recommended acquiring unprofitable or lease-expired plantations to establish a new central prison in Pathanamthitta and relocating the Central Prisons at Poojappura and Kannur. The committee has also recommended considering unprofitable plantations owned by the Plantation Corporation for the purpose.

The Viyyur Central Prison should be expanded and modernised, the committee said. Since establishing new prisons would take years, the existing prisons, including those at Poojappura and Kannur, should be expanded and modernised. The number of prisoners in all jails is more than 20 per cent above their capacity. The recommendations were made by a commission appointed by the government to study prison security.

The committee said prisoners could be engaged in agricultural work. Poultry farms and milk production units could also be operated, along with farm industries similar to those in open prisons.

Prisons should be constructed as three-storey buildings, with a central tower in the middle and radial buildings extending in several directions, it recommended. There should be only one exit route for prisoners. A central tower would make surveillance easier.

The committee recommended that central prisons be urgently modernised along these lines.

40 acres to be freed up at Poojappura

If the Poojappura Central Prison is relocated, 40 acres of land would become available to the government in the capital city. The land could be used for other purposes.

There are 400 acres of land at Nettukaltheri, where the number of inmates in the open prison should be increased, the committee said. More temporary staff should also be appointed to ensure security at all locations.

Legislation may be required

Legislation would be required to use plantation land for other purposes. Large landowners hold 5.25 lakh acres of plantation land, and a secretary-level committee had earlier recommended acquiring the land for development purposes.

The committee said vegetable cultivation, milk production and farm industries could be started on plantations. This would provide access to vegetables free of harmful substances and reduce dependence on other States.

Cheemeni model

The Cheemeni Open Prison was established after acquiring 308.7 acres of cashew plantation owned by the Plantation Corporation.

Cashew, rubber, coconut and vegetable cultivation are carried out there. The facility also has a dairy farm, besides goat and poultry rearing.

The estate, which had been running at a loss, was transformed into a profitable agricultural production centre.

“The Kakkanad and Kottayam district jails are located on limited land and should be shifted outside the city. The Kottayam jail is situated on 55 cents of land. There are 20 prisoners in a single room. This poses a security threat.”

— Justice C.N. Ramachandran Nair