RTI application reveals discrepancies in jail food revenue records

KOZHIKODE: There is no proper consolidated record of the revenue from the sale of popular jail food items such as chapati and chicken. In response to a Right to Information (RTI) application, the prison headquarters stated that it does not have a compiled report of the revenues from all jail units. They advised that applications should be submitted to each individual jail unit to obtain such information. However, prison superintendents claim that monthly reports are regularly submitted to the headquarters.

The RTI application was filed seeking information on the total income generated so far from the sale of food prepared by inmates in various jails across the state, as well as average monthly sales figures. The appeal filed after the initial application also received the same response — that consolidated data from all prisons is not available.

The prison department informed that details regarding food units are available on its official website. However, while information about food items and production units is provided, revenue figures are not listed on the site.

Food units:

Central Prisons: Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Kannur, Cheemeni
District Jails: Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Kozhikode
Special Sub Jail: Thiruvananthapuram
Women’s Jails: Thiruvananthapuram, Viyyur
Women’s Open Jail: Thiruvananthapuram